Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer says may run for NYC comptroller

NEW YORK, July 8 (UPI) -- Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who resigned after admitting he solicited a high-price call girl, said he may run for New York City comptroller.

The 54-year-old Democrat said he "re-envisioned the often-overlooked office" of comptroller and told The New York Times in a telephone interview he wanted to resurrect the kind of aggressive role he played as the state's attorney general.

Spitzer, who also is a former real estate developer and did a stint as a TV political show co-host after his fall from office, admitted he missed the fast-paced world and power of New York politics. Still, he refused to comment on whether the recent positive showing in polls of Democrat Anthony D. Weiner, former U.S. Representative and current New York mayoral contender -- who resigned after he admitted he texted lewd photographs of himself to women -- had affected his decision.

He said New Yorkers often tell him they would support him if he ran for office again.

Spitzer said he planned to transform and extend the comptroller's office into an aggressive agency that doesn't just account for city spending, as it does today, but conduct regular inquiries into the effectiveness of government policies in areas such as high school graduation rates.

As New York state attorney general, Spitzer expanded his role and went after Wall Street abuses after the Enron and other scandals of the early 2000s, which often put him at odds with federal regulators of Wall Street.

To get on the New York City ballot for the September primary, candidates for city comptroller must collect at least 3,750 signatures from registered voters from their political party by Thursday, the Times said.