CHICAGO – Former White House chief of staff Bill Daley said Thursday that he's "seriously" considering a run for Illinois governor in 2014, a move that would represent a major Democratic primary challenge to Gov. Pat Quinn.

Daley, who has mulled campaigns for the state's highest office before, spoke about leadership during a campaign-style speech Thursday before Chicago's business and political elite. After the speech, when an audience member asked if he was running for governor, Daley said he was "thinking about it seriously."

Although he didn't criticize Quinn by name, Daley said Illinois needs better leadership, particularly with its shaky finances – billions in unpaid bills and the worst-in-the-nation pension problem. Quinn has said he'll seek a second term in 2014.