California's Brown advances toward governor run

California Attorney General Jerry Brown waits for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to deliver the State of the State address at the State Capitol in Sacramento January 15, 2009.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California Attorney General Jerry Brown took a major step toward running for governor on Tuesday by filing paperwork that will allow him to raise campaign funds more aggressively.

Brown, a Democrat who served as governor of California from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, submitted papers for "Brown for Governor 2010 Exploratory Committee" with the state's top elections officer.

Brown, 71, had already been raising campaign funds but the committee will allow him to raise money at higher levels if he opts to seek the Democratic nomination for governor.

Brown can run for governor again because the state's two-term limit on the office applies to governors who have served after November 1990.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is also seeking the party's nomination in the race to succeed Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who cannot run for a third term in 2010.

An official decision by Brown may not be made until next year, said political adviser Steven Glazer.

"He's focused on doing his job as attorney general," Glazer said. "Second, he wants to be very thoughtful about this decision. There is no need to rush it."

Brown comes from one of California's most prominent political families. His father served as governor and his sister is a former state treasurer who unsuccessfully ran for governor.

Before becoming "Governor Moonbeam," as he was popularly known in the 1970s for his quirky politics, Brown was California's secretary of state. He also was mayor of Oakland, California, before becoming the state's attorney general and has run unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate and the Democratic nomination for president.

If he runs for governor again, Brown will face one of three Republicans from Silicon Valley seeking their party's nomination.

That three-way contest features former eBay Inc Chief Executive Meg Whitman, state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and Tom Campbell, a former state lawmaker, U.S. Congressional representative and state finance department director.

(Reporting by Jim Christie, editing by Mary Milliken and Philip Barbara)