So we have a piece in which Iowa 5th District Congressman Steve King remains coy about a possible run for the governorship before voters in 2010. He’s been the subject of speculation about running for governor for roughly as long as he’s been in the U.S. House, and King won’t deny there’s a certain appeal. For now, he’s saying he’s not closing the door to any political office opportunity.

If King runs, that could put him in the contest with three guys living in the same congressional district: State Rep. Rod Roberts, just down the road in Carroll from King’s Kiron, business consultant Bob Vander Plaats of Sioux City and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey of Spirit Lake. Of course, Vander Plaats has run twice before, and has some backers and others who say he needs to step aside for fresher faces. And other GOP guys (I haven’t heard a female Republican mentioned)  like Chuck Larson Jr., Ames businessman Bruce Rastetter and state auditor David Vaudt may enter the fray, making for a wide-open primary.

Here’s the question — if you’re an Iowa Republican, how do you decide whom to support? Would King clear out some challengers? Is he too much of a lightning rod? Might King be the most likely primary winner, when committed GOP conservatives turnout in June 2010, yet might others be concerned he can’t unseat Democrat Chet Culver in November?

Maybe most intriguingly — if you’re a GOP conservative, do you throw support to Vander Plaats or King, and why? Both have their ties into the conservative establishment, while BVP has some bump from being affiliated with the Mike Huckabee presidential campaign, which won the Iowa caucus 13 months ago.