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Every week, Gov. Chet Culver looks out the windows of Terrace Hill and sees another Republican staring at the place, wondering what it would be like to live there.

With 21 months to go until the November 2010 gubernatorial election, the list of possible Republican challengers is growing. It will be the first midterm election in this Democratic presidential administration, and Culver is receiving lukewarm reviews for his first couple of years in office. It’s not surprising that his challengers’ eyes are getting big.

If all of the potential candidates decide to plunge ahead, Republican primary voters will have a variety of types to select from. For example:

Bill Northey, Iowa secretary of agriculture, has the great advantage of being instantly likable. He needs to shake hands with a few thousand Iowans this year.

Bob Vander Plaats, who has declared himself a candidate, is the seasoned veteran. Or the proven failure, depending on how you look at politics. He lost in the 2002 primary, then dropped out of the 2006 campaign and eventually became Jim Nussle’s running mate; they lost to Culver and Patty Judge.

Congressman Steve King, also a declared candidate, is the darling of the state’s right wing; we might find out the true size of that group.

State Auditor David Vaudt is thinking about running. The current economic situation makes his financial caution seem brilliant.

Also considering the idea is Bruce Rastetter of Iowa Falls, the CEO of Hawkeye Energy Holdings LLC. He grew up a Democrat, so he knows both sides of the story.

According to former gubernatorial candidate Doug Gross, another man who sees himself as governor material is state Rep. Christopher Rants. However, it couldn’t have helped his cause when House Republicans cast him aside and chose a new leader this year.

And that’s not counting the lesser-known folks you meet who say hopefully, “People tell me I should run for governor …”