SPRINGFIELD - Those late night poker games with Barack Obama must have had some kind of an effect on state Sen. Bill Brady.

Just as Obama is preaching change in his bid to become president, Brady, a Republican from Bloomington, says he believes Illinois voters are looking for something new in Springfield.

"The public is ready for a difference," Brady said, pointing to Democratic infighting that has caused gridlock in the Statehouse.

"People are just fed up with it," said Brady, 47, who has served in the Illinois Senate since 2002 and represents part of Macon County. He was also a member of the Illinois House from 1993 until 2000.

Although the focus for now is on the 2008 election, Brady is among a handful of Republicans laying the groundwork for a 2010 bid for governor.

Many of them, including Brady, are just now returning from the Republican National Convention in Minnesota the unofficial jumping off point for the upcoming campaign.

"You go to be seen," Brady said.

Potential GOP candidates include House Minority Leader Tom Cross, state Sen. Christine Radogno of Lemont, DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett and businessman Ron Gidwitz.

State Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa, has made noises about another statewide run and is not ruling out the top spot.

Doug Whitley, president of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, also is surfacing as a potential candidate.

Whitley, a Kane County resident, is no stranger to Springfield. He served in former Gov. Jim Edgar's cabinet, was a top telecommunications executive and served as a legislative aide in the Illinois House.

"There's any number of people who have distinguished themselves in statewide races before," said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andrew McKenna.

A number of them, including Brady, were given a shout-out at the convention by former Gov. Jim Thompson, who said the party needs to begin looking toward 2010.

Of all of the potential candidates, however, Brady has been the most vocal in talking about his desire to be governor.

After losing the general election in 2006, GOP gubernatorial nominee Judy Baar Topinka dropped off the political radar, while Brady has continued trying to gather support.

He's traveled the state, speaking to Republican gatherings in dozens of counties.

At the Illinois State Fair last month, Brady hosted a social gathering at the Sangamon County GOP headquarters, where he shook hands and offered free beer to potential supporters.

"We're hoping the groundwork we lay will minimize the primary field," Brady said. "One of my goals is to lead the ticket."

In his speeches, his message is not unlike Obama, who often joined Brady and others for card games when the Democratic nominee for president served in the General Assembly.

The difference: While Obama is calling for change at a national level, Brady's message is aimed at an Illinois-only audience.

McLean County Republican Party Chairman John Parrott hasn't always gotten along with Brady. The two struggled for control of the county party in the 1990s, but have called a truce in recent years.

Now, Parrott says he's fully backing Brady's gubernatorial ambitions.

"Definitely, Bill is in the mix. I think Bill has a lot of support throughout the state of Illinois," Parrott said.

"A lot of the county chairmen I've talked to have all said they will be leaning toward Bill Brady on our list of candidates for 2010. Right now, I would say Bill is probably at the top of that list," Parrott said.

In 2006, Brady won about 20 percent of the vote in a four-way Republican primary. He scored victories over eventual GOP nominee Judy Baar Topinka in 21 of the state's 102 counties.

Brady blamed his showing on Edgar's role in the 2006 primary. For months, Edgar sounded like he might make another run for chief executive. By the time Edgar closed the door on his candidacy, Brady said it was too late for his campaign to begin picking up steam.

While Brady has early support from Parrott, his fundraising numbers have left others wondering whether he's going to be a serious candidate.

At a time when a successful campaign for governor could cost $15 million to $30 million, Brady raised just $55,730 in the first half of 2008, leaving him with a total of $67,413 in his campaign warchest.

In addition, Brady's campaign account is carrying $685,000 in loans.

At the same time, however, he's kept some of his 2006 campaign team intact. Dan Egler, a former Statehouse reporter and speechwriter for Edgar, continues to serve as a liaison between Brady and the media.

McKenna said it might be too early to judge any of the potential candidates by their fundraising.

But, said McKenna, "I think clearly, if you are going to run for office like that, you've got to show power. Anybody who's serious about it has got to demonstrate real capacity there."

Brady said he's shied away from fundraising in order to make sure he wasn't taking money from Republican candidates running in the 2008 election.

"We just have intentionally not gotten in the way," Brady said. "I haven't asked anyone for a dime."

Other potential candidates are holding back on putting their names in the mix.

Birkett acknowledged he was considering a run for governor or attorney general.

"Our party and state are starving for new and effective leadership," Birkett said.

Birkett said he demonstrated that he can run effective campaigns in 2002 and 2006.

"I'm excited about the possibility," Birkett said.

kurt.erickson@lee.net|789-0865