CA-Gov: Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!

Jerry Brown to declare his candidacy for governor Tuesday

Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown will formally announce Tuesday that he is running for governor, a job he last held nearly three decades ago, according to a source close to his campaign.

Brown, 71, an Oakland Democrat who does not face any serious primary election opposition, is expected to make his announcement online. He served two terms as California's governor starting in the 1970s but is eligible to hold the office again because today's term limits were not in effect when he first occupied the Capitol.

Brown, an enigmatic political figure whose father, Pat Brown, also served two terms as governor, is seeking to regain the state's top job near the end of a long political career. He has won elections to the posts of secretary of state and Oakland mayor, besides his current job; waged three failed presidential runs and lost a bid for Senate. Brown has also served as the state Democratic Party chairman.

Though he had been plotting this run for two years, Brown had resisted making it official while two would-be Republican contenders have openly battled for their party's nod. The winner of that primary contest in June, whether it be former EBay chief Meg Whitman or California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, will have substantial personal wealth with which Brown will have to contend in the general election.