Judy Lin, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Former eBay Inc. chief executive Meg Whitman plans to run for governor of California, a person with knowledge of her political aspirations said Monday.

The 52-year-old Republican plans to run in 2010 for the seat Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is leaving but is not ready to make a formal announcement, said the person, who was not authorized to talk publicly and spoke Monday on condition of anonymity.

Whitman made the decision while spending time with family over the holidays and will make the announcement official in four to six weeks, he said.

Henry Gomez, a spokesman for Whitman, said she stepped down from the boards of eBay, Procter & Gamble Co. and DreamWorks Animation SKG last week due to "personal reasons and time commitments." He would not elaborate.

The person who said Whitman is planning a gubernatorial run said her resignations are "a strong indication" that she wants to get clear of any commitments that might interfere with a run for political office.

In a statement, John Donahoe, eBay's president and chief executive, praised Whitman's tenure at the head of the online auctioneer.

"Meg's vision and leadership and her passion for the eBay community have helped create economic opportunity for millions of people worldwide and enabled us to build a dynamic portfolio of leading online businesses," he said. "Her experience and insights will be missed, but Meg will always be a part of the eBay family, and we wish her the very best."

Whitman retired in March after 10 years at the helm. A billionaire, she retains a two per cent ownership stake in eBay.

She most recently served as a national co-chairwoman of John McCain's failed presidential bid previously had supported former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who lost to McCain in the GOP primary. Whitman and Romney once worked at Bain and Co., a global business consulting firm. Romney later started Bain Capital, the venture capital firm where he made millions.

Whitman has donated money to candidates and causes in the past but was not particularly active in state politics while she led eBay. Little is known about her social views.

Whitman supported Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban that passed in November, according to the person who spoke about her political decision. Campaign finance records do not indicate she contributed money to that campaign.

Whitman is one of three Republicans who are considered front-runners in the 2010 California gubernatorial campaign. The others are state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former Rep. Tom Campbell.

Whoever wins the GOP primary will face a well-known Democratic opponent in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by 13 percentage points.

Former Gov. Jerry Brown, now the state's attorney general, is thought to be the leading Democratic candidate if he decides to run - unless Sen. Dianne Feinstein jumps into the race.

Longtime Feinstein consultant Bill Carrick said Monday that the state's senior senator remained interested in running for governor, but that it would be some time before she made a decision. She just became chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, providing motivation to stay in Washington.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also are considered top Democratic contenders, especially if neither Brown nor Feinstein runs.

Term limits prevent Schwarzenegger, a Republican, from running again.

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AP Technology Writer Rachel Metz in New York and AP writer Erica Werner in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.