in the weeks following incumbent governor of california george deukmejian announcing that he was not running for a third term, wilson considered a gubernatorial bid; by late january 1989, wilson admitted to the decision being agonizing for him amid his consulting with others on a possible run. at the beginning of his second six-year term in the senate, wilson announced plans to run for governor of california. in 1990, he resigned from the senate after winning the california gubernatorial election.