Jerry Brown announces Calif. gubernatorial bid

As widely expected, California attorney general Jerry Brown Tuesday announced his bid for governor -- a position he held in the nation's most populous state from 1975 to 1983.

Brown, the likely Democratic nominee who declined to defend the constitutionality of Proposition 8 in federal court and urged the state supreme court to strike down the ballot measure after voters approved it in 2008, will likely face either Steve Poizner or Meg Whitman in the November general election.

Whitman, the ex-eBay CEO billionaire who opposes gay marriage and supported Prop. 8, has prepared for Brown's candidacy with an exhaustive oppositional research campaign: Politico reports that Whitman will attempt to portray Brown "as a wasteful spender and tax-raiser with a poor record of creating jobs."

Below, Brown's official announcement via YouTube.