Top Republican Assemblyman Kolb kicks off bid for governor

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Upstate Republican lawmaker Brian Kolb launched a campaign for New York governor Tuesday, vowing to take on the state's high taxes and chronic corruption in what he acknowledged will be an uphill fight against Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Kolb is the first, but unlikely to be the last, candidate to step forward to challenge Cuomo. The Democratic governor is known as a prodigious fundraiser and has been mentioned as a possible White House contender, though he has said he plans to seek a third term.

"Corruption and dysfunction in Albany have transformed our state for the worse and left many feeling powerless to fight back — that ends today," said Kolb, who first confirmed his plans on Rochester's WHAM-1180 radio.