Following former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber’s announcement Wednesday that he will run in 2010 for his old post, one Democrat cleared the field for him and one Republican jumped into the race.

Republican state Sen. Jason Atkinson confirmed Thursday in an interview with the Mail Tribune that he will be entering the open 2010 governor’s race. Atkinson has been officially exploring a bid and was widely expected to enter.

But on the Democratic side, state Sen. Brian Clemcut short his exploratory campaign Wednesday in deference to Kitzhaber.