By Mark Palmer, BBC News
Health Minister Eluned Morgan is yet to confirm whether she will stand to replace Vaughan Gething as Welsh Labour leader and first minister after nine colleagues backed her.
The Labour member of the Senedd (MS) has passed the threshold of six nominations to enter the contest.
Former leadership candidate Jeremy Miles, who lost a leadership race with Vaughan Gething in March, has pledged his support to Ms Morgan.
However, no one has formally said they would run and Labour politicians in the Welsh Parliament have until noon on Wednesday to decide who they will back.
Ms Morgan said on Sunday she was considering a “unity ticket” bid with Rural Affairs Secretary Huw Irranca-Davies running as her deputy.
She told BBC Politics Wales she was “giving serious consideration” to replacing Mr Gething following his decision to stand down after being mired in controversy over campaign donations and leaked WhatsApp messages.
“If I were to stand, then I would be standing on a ticket along with Huw Irranca-Davies, who was a Jeremy Miles supporter, so it would be a unity ticket,” she said.
She said there had been “a huge groundswell of support within the party for that idea” but she would not confirm if she would enter the race.
Mr Irranca-Davies said he would like to see “a contest” but added “a unanimity around a candidate” could be “a good thing”.
Within minutes of announcing she might be running for the leadership, Mr Miles said he would back Ms Morgan.
He told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast on Monday he had enough support to enter the race himself, but decided against it.
Supporters of Mr Gething claimed Mr Miles would not be able to unite the Labour Party in the Senedd.
Mr Miles, the economy minister, said it was of “paramount importance” for the party “to come together to move forward and I think Eluned is really the best placed candidate for doing that”.
“I think if Eluned chooses to stand she will be a great first minister and Huw will be fantastic as her deputy, they absolutely have the qualities to take us forward and that’s the most important consideration,” he added.
The atmosphere in the Labour Senedd group has been described as “toxic” following the rows over Mr Gething’s leadership.
Mr Gething said he would stand down after being mired in controversy over his decision to accept donations of £200,000 from a businessman convicted of environmental offences.
He also was criticised for sacking minister Hannah Blythyn, over allegations of leaking Covid-era WhatsApp messages – she strongly denies any wrongdoing – and losing a vote of no confidence.
Ms Morgan said she had a “considerable amount of support…from the different sections of the Labour party,” adding “you don’t need to belong to any particular faction” to support her.
Speaking at the Royal Welsh Show, Mr Irranca-Davies said: “If Eluned is nominated and if she’s nominated on a partnership ticket for the good of Wales and for the people of Wales, I think that’s a strong offer.
“We’d like to see a contest, quite genuinely – we would. That’s often very good because members can engage.
“But if there is not a coronation, if there is actually a unanimity around a candidate – that does happen.
“There’s precedent for this before, and it can be very good because what you can then do is move on to stability and consistency and get on with the programme of government.”
He added being deputy first minister and rural affairs secretary was feasible.
The Labour MSs who have declared their support for Eluned Morgan are: Jeremy Miles, Jack Sargeant, Mick Antoniw, Huw Irranca Davies, Joyce Watson, Mike Hedges, Dawn Bowden, Vikki Howells and Hefin David.