Former Mayor of New York City Rudolph Giuliani on Monday filed a Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), taking one step further to run for the White House in 2008, local media reported.

The move did not commit him to running for president, merely lays down a formal basis with the FEC to move toward a full-fledged campaign.

This would put Giuliani on equal footing with John McCain and Mitt Romney, two fellow Republicans interested in running for the presidency.

On Monday evening, Giuliani was on Long Island campaigning for a Republican state senate candidate. He said his own campaign is ready to move forward.

"There's just a lot of enthusiasm. A lot of people saying you should go ahead with it, we will support you, we'll help you," said Giuliani.

Giuliani has tried to reassure supporters that he is serious, saying in South Carolina over the weekend that "there's a real good chance" he would run.

But he insisted that he has to decide whether he can make a "unique contribution" to help strengthen the country -- his barometer for whether to run.

Giuliani was a former U.S. attorney, leading campaigns against organized crime and corruption. He spent two years as the Justice Department's No. 3 post, overseeing all U.S. attorneys, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Marshals Service.

The Brooklyn native was first elected New York's mayor in 1993 and served two terms on the post. His popularity soared after his quick response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Source: Xinhua