Brown filed papers on September 29, 2009 to formally explore a run for Governor of California in 2010. [1] <ref> This move increases the amount individual donors can give to his campaign from the $6,500 allowed for candidates for attorney general to $25,900.

"I see in Jerry two conflicting streaks. He's a real political animal. He knows politics and goes for the jugular. But he's also a real seminarian. He wants to save souls. A lot of politicians make 180-degree turns, but Jerry is the 180-degree kid. All politicians have to be chameleons. But Jerry stretches the definition to the limit."—Robert ReinholdNew York Times: THE 1992 CAMPAIGN: California; Who Is Jerry Brown? (April 2, 1992)

"Jerry Brown was once a man ahead of his time. Elected governor of the largest state in the union in 1974 at age 34, he was the first major liberal politician to advance positions that have today become conventional wisdom: the U.S. has entered an "era of limits" requiring increased environmental concern; government cannot solve all problems; the budget should be balanced; the country must invest in people and technological innovation, among others."—Fred BranfmanSalon.com: Jerry Brown Moving toward the Abyss (June 3, 1996)