PA Media
Welsh Labour has confirmed it will elect a replacement for Vaughan Gething by the middle of September.
The party’s Senedd politicians have until noon on Wednesday to decide who they are backing in the leadership contest, triggered after the first minister announced his resignation last week.
Mr Gething was forced out in the last leadership race.
Other Members of the Senedd discussed as potential candidates are Transport Secretary Ken Skates and Climate Change Secretary Huw Irranca-Davies.
There have been calls for a full-blown leadership race to elect Mr Gething’s successor rather than a coronation, with former First Minister Mark Drakeford saying a contest could be a “cathartic experience” for the party.
Mr Drakeford has also said he would “very much like” there to be a woman on the ballot.
Splits have developed as a result of the controversy that has surrounded Mr Gething’s time in office.
He came under pressure over his decision to accept donations amounting to £200,000 to his leadership campaign from a business owner who had twice been convicted for environmental offences.
His decision to sack a minister for leaking messages to the media was also controversial, as was his failure to stand down after losing a no-confidence vote in the Senedd.
In his resignation statement on Tuesday, Mr Gething said he had hoped a period of “rebuilding and renewal” would have been possible over the summer, but now realised “this was not possible”.
On Thursday, he told BBC Wales there were people who “have not been prepared to accept” the result of the last leadership contest.