New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announces candidacy for Governor of New York

May 22nd, 2010 - 8:04 pm ICT by BNO News  

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) — New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo on Saturday announced his candidacy for Governor of the state of New York.

Cuomo - who previously served as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and has been attorney general of New York state since 2006 - made the announcement in a 21-minute video on his personal website.

It is not the first time Cuomo is running for governor. He also ran for the Democratic nomination in 2002 but failed due to a lack of support. “Sure, it’s hard to comeback. I saw it in my own life,” Cuomo said in his statement on Saturday. “A few years ago I ran for Governor and I lost, and I then went through a very difficult time in my personal life.”

Cuomo referred to the period after losing the race for Governor as a ‘public humiliation’. “People said it was over for me, they said my public service career was finished,” Cuomo said. But, he says, after hard work and help from true friends and family, he built back. “And with the compassion and empathy of New Yorkers, you gave me a second chance,” Cuomo added.

However, Cuomo seems to have a much stronger position now compared to 2002. Although he was not yet an official candidate before Saturday, Cuomo has held a commanding lead in polls over not only Republican opponents but also the sitting Governor David Paterson.

Paterson declined a bid for re-election after running low on money and support within the party.

In Saturday’s video statement, Cuomo detailed his “New NY Agenda” for “comprehensive ethics, fiscal and government reform.” “Let’s stop the cycle. I want to generate a positive dialogue and a unifying approach,” he said. “I don’t wage a campaign against anyone or against anything, but rather, a campaign for something: for competence, for integrity, for reform, and for the people.

The New York gubernatorial election will be held on Tuesday, November 2.

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