Rep. Victoria Steele said House Minority Leader Chad Campbell threatened to kill her legislation and committee assignments next year in retaliation for her endorsement of Fred DuVal in the 2014 governor’s race.

Resign-to-run will lose much of its luster when a bill from the 2013 session goes into effect, but GOP gubernatorial hopeful Hugh Hallman issued a reminder today that it is still the law of the land. The former Tempe mayor sent out a press release accusing several potential Republican primary opponents of ducking the spirit of the law.

One GOP consultant said he was completely baffled by Thomas’ decision to run for governor. “Has this guy gone completely insane?” the source asked. While Thomas believes he was wronged and unfairly targeted for disbarment for politically motivated reasons, the source said he’s got no chance of convincing other people of that.

The instant analysis from GOP politicos is that Melvin has little or no chance of winning. One Republican consultant said Melvin won’t have the money to build up his name ID much, noting that the fundraising disparity will probably be especially high if the state’s new contribution limits hold up in court.

Sen. Al Melvin, R-SaddleBrooke, has formed an exploratory committee to run for governor. In a press release posted on the blog Sonoran Alliance, the three-term senator said his motivation for exploring the race sprang from his frustration with a lack of progress at the Capitol and “genuine optimism” for Arizona’s future.

Dem blogger, former lawmaker and DuVal supporter Tom Prezelski wants Campbell to bow out of the governor’s race. In an “open letter” to Campbell posted on Rum, Romanism and Rebellion yesterday (April 18), Prezelski laid out his arguments for why it would be best for the House Dem leader, who has yet to officially file his candidacy for governor, to stay out.

Fred DuVal said there is a “high probability” that he will officially begin his campaign for governor later this month.

DuVal, a former regent, former Clinton White House aide and longtime Democratic operative, said he expects to file his campaign committee with the Secretary of State’s Office by the end of February.

Bennett may be widely viewed as a rural guy, but his prospective gubernatorial campaign is more likely to be steered from Gilbert than Prescott. In order to comply with the state Constitution after he was appointed secretary of state in 2009, Bennett officially became a resident of Maricopa County.