Are the mayors dreaming of being governor?

Is something Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said today a hint, a Freudian slip, or an innocent comment?

Here’s what he told All Things Considered host Tom Crann on Thursday after he met with the Barack Obama transition team in Washington. “I see myself representing Minnesota….” he said in beginning an answer to the question of what he considers job #1 for the Obama team.

Rybak’s name usually comes up when experts handicap the 2010 race for governor. So, of course, Crann had to ask.

“I’m here because I’m supposed to be representing my whole part of the country… I’ll figure out what I’m doing next…. soon…. but that’s not for today,” he said.

“Relatively soon I’ll figure out whether I’ll run for mayor again,” he said.

Yesterday St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman announced his intention to run for re-election this year. He, too, refused to dampen speculation that he’d run for governor.