Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, told The New York Post on Tuesday that he will seek the Republican nomination for next year’s gubernatorial election in New York.

The 35-year-old told the paper he was prepared for an “epic showdown” with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the three-term Democratic incumbent.

“I’m a politician out of the womb. It’s in my DNA,” he said.

This would be Andrew Giuliani’s first run for office. He served in the Trump administration as a special assistant.

He enters the race as Cuomo, the presumed – for now – Democratic nominee, faces scrutiny for a number of investigations plaguing his current term.

That started with the administration’s nursing home policies during the early stages of the pandemic and dovetailed into how state officials counted deaths during the pandemic. An investigation by state Attorney General Letitia James indicated that Cuomo’s office attributed many nursing home deaths as hospital deaths, undercounting long-term care facilities by about 50 percent.

Cuomo also faces investigations for allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate touching. James’ office has retained a private law firm to handle that review.

There have also been questions about the administration’s handling of the new Tappan Zee Bridge construction project, and he’s been criticized for a leadership book he wrote during the pandemic. Just Monday, he announced he received more than $5 million for that endeavor.

Besides the attorney general’s investigation into the harassment allegations, which Cuomo has denied, the governor also faces an impeachment inquiry by the state Assembly and a federal probe into the nursing home scandal.

Giuliani, though, comes with some baggage as well, although not necessarily directly his. He’s an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump, who is also under investigation for business dealings in New York. And an apartment owned by Giuliani’s father was recently searched by FBI agents.

Andrew Giuliani also isn’t the only Republican to throw his hat in the ring.

Last month, U.S. Lee Zeldin entered the governor’s race. The Long Island lawmaker had been exploring a bid prior to his formal announcement.

Last week, Rob Astorino, a former Westchester County executive and 2014 GOP nominee, said he would seek another shot.

George Pataki was the last Republican to serve as New York’s governor. He denied Gov. Mario Cuomo, the incumbent’s father, a fourth term in 1994 and served three terms in Albany.

This article was originally posted on Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York City mayor, announces bid for governor