ALBANY, N.Y. — Democrat Andrew Cuomo is making it official: He will seek the New York governor's job once held by his father.

Cuomo, who as state attorney general has built a national reputation for his campaigns against public corruption, posted a video and statement online Saturday announcing his candidacy.

The formal announcement comes months after a member of President Barack Obama's administration sought to have Gov. David Paterson not seek election to the seat he gained by default, indicating a preference for Cuomo.

Cuomo enters the race with much higher popularity and name recognition than several Republicans seeking the GOP nomination and far ahead in fundraising.

Cuomo faces Republicans Rick Lazio, a former congressman from Long Island; Steve Levy, the Suffolk County executive; and Carl Paladino, a Buffalo developer aligned with tea party activists in the party. There are no other announced Democratic contenders for the nomination.

Cuomo's father, Mario Cuomo, was governor from 1983 to 1994.

Andrew Cuomo was the secretary for housing and urban development in the Clinton White House.