NEW YORK (AP) — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday that he is running for mayor of New York City, relaunching his political career following a yearslong exile over a barrage of sexual harassment accusations.

In a 17-minute video announcing his campaign, Cuomo pitched himself as an accomplished moderate who could save a city that felt threatening and “out of control,” and is capable of navigating the delicate balance between working with Republican President Donald Trump and fighting him, when necessary.

“I am not saying this is going to be easy. It won’t be easy, but I know we can turn the city around, and I believe I can help,” he said.

The Democrat is expected to mount a formidable campaign, despite entering the race deeply wounded by the scandal that forced his resignation as governor in 2021.

He takes on a large field of primary opponents with low name recognition plus an incumbent, Mayor Eric Adams, who — for now — remains under indictment on federal corruption charges and under scrutiny from critics who question his independence from Trump.

Cuomo brings fundraising prowess, a record of accomplishments over three terms as governor and potential support among many of the moderate voters who helped propel Adams to office.

Yet it is unclear whether voters are willing to give Cuomo another chance following his remarkable downfall, when he went from being hailed for his leadership during the onslaught of COVID-19 to being castigated for his behavior with women and questioned about his pandemic response.

In his campaign video, Cuomo acknowledged past “mistakes" but did not directly address the harassment allegations.

“Did I always do everything right in my years of government service? Of course not," he said. "Would I do some things differently knowing what I know now — certainly. Did I make mistakes, some painfully? Definitely, and I believe I learned from them and that I am a better person for it, and I hope to show that every day."

Adams, caught on a city street by a Politico reporter Saturday, welcomed Cuomo to the race.

“Come one, come all. Everybody should put their position forward,” Adams said. “I have a great record to run on. We look forward to the campaign.”

Plotting a comeback

Cuomo had been circling a return to politics for years while his lawyers and political consultants kept trying to discredit his accusers.

At least 11 women credibly accused him of sexual harassment, which included allegations of unwanted kissing and touching as well as remarking about their looks and sex lives, according to a report released by New York’s attorney general. One aide later filed a criminal complaint accusing Cuomo of grabbing her breast when they were alone in the governor’s mansion in Albany in late 2020.

Cuomo denied the sexual assault allegation, which a prosecutor ultimately dropped on the grounds that there was not enough proof to get a conviction.

As for his behavior with some of the other women, Cuomo, 67, said he did not intentionally mistreat them and had simply fallen behind the times of what was considered appropriate workplace conduct.

Taxpayers have spent millions of dollars defending him and his top aides against lawsuits related to the allegations.

In an essay published in Vanity Fair on Saturday, the first woman to publicly accuse Cuomo of harassment, Lindsey Boylan, wrote that “New York City deserves better.”

She said that rather than repent and atone for his behavior, Cuomo has waged a “vengeful” legal campaign against his accusers.

“While the women who worked for and with Cuomo may no longer be subject to inappropriate behavior, misconduct, or sexual harassment, some of us remain the victims of what could be interpreted as an ongoing campaign that weaponizes the legal system as a tactic for retribution,” Boylan wrote.

She added that even though she never sued Cuomo, she has spent $1.5 million on lawyers to respond to subpoenas in his other cases.

A crowded Democratic primary

There are already several candidates vying to beat Adams in June.

Among them are city Comptroller Brad Lander, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, state Sen. Jessica Ramos, state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani and former city Comptroller Scott Stringer, who was a front-runner in the mayor’s race four years ago until a woman accused him of groping and kissing her without her consent 20 years earlier.

In a statement, Ramos called Cuomo a “corrupt bully” who “brings nothing to this race but baggage.”

Myrie said New York shouldn't be forced to relive “the Andrew Cuomo show.”

“We deserve better than selfish leaders who spent decades in office putting their desire for power above New Yorkers’ needs," Myrie said.

Adams is a vulnerable incumbent

The mayor is facing a tempest over the criminal case against him and the U.S. Justice Department’s extraordinary effort to end the case over the objection of the prosecutors who brought the charges.

An indictment said Adams accepted luxury travel perks and illegal campaign contributions from people who wanted to buy his influence, including a Turkish official and other foreign nationals.

After Trump took office, a top DOJ official ordered prosecutors to dismiss the charges so Adams could focus on assisting the president’s immigration agenda, while leaving open the possibility that the case could reemerge after the mayoral election.

The dynamic has led critics to claim that Adams struck a deal to help Trump’s immigration crackdown in exchange for legal salvation.

Adams has strongly denied such an arrangement, while facing intense pressure to step down and potential removal from office by Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat. Some of his top deputies announced plans to resign in protest.

Long rise to power, quick fall

Cuomo started in politics working for his father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo, and later became U.S. housing secretary under President Bill Clinton and New York attorney general before being elected governor in 2010.

His star power was highest during the pandemic, when his televised daily briefings, full of clear-eyed rhetoric on the virus, attracted admirers who saw him as a steady hand during a chaotic time. The briefings won an international Emmy and led to a more than $5 million book deal to write “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons From the Covid-19 Pandemic.”

But women began coming forward in late 2020 and early 2021 to accuse Cuomo of misconduct, and he faced a potential impeachment before stepping down. A state ethics panel tried unsuccessfully to get him to give up the proceeds of his book deal after it determined he used taxpayer resources to prepare, edit and publish it.

Questions about COVID-19 in nursing homes

Cuomo was further damaged by allegations that a directive from his administration unintentionally contributed to a wave of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes by initially barring them from refusing to readmit virus patients discharged from hospitals.

The governor said the allegations were baseless, but his administration was found to have substantially undercounted nursing home deaths as it sought to deflect criticism.

Cuomo still has a significant campaign war chest that, technically, he could draw on. But the process of transferring state donations to a city committee would be complicated and require each donor to sign off, a potentially burdensome effort.