By JACOB GERSHMAN
Amid churning doubts over his political future, New York Gov. David Paterson has told one of his closest advisers that he will officially announce his campaign for governor next week.
William Lynch, a Harlem lobbyist and political aide, said Mr. Paterson will give a "major statement on why he's running" and will travel around the state to make clear his intentions. "He's running," Mr. Lynch said.
Mr. Paterson, who was elected lieutenant governor and then succeeded Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who resigned amid a sex scandal, has struggled with low poll numbers for months and battled with lawmakers over the deterioration of the state's finances. He is gearing up for an announcement as Democrats in Albany have circulated rumors about the Democratic governor's private life and questioned his viability as a candidate.
Some party activists are encouraging Mr. Paterson to step aside to avoid a primary against Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who is expected to run for governor. While Mr. Cuomo hasn't declared his candidacy, his aides have been quietly laying the groundwork for a campaign for months.
--From WSJ
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