Republican Rick Lazio formally launched his campaign for New York governor Tuesday morning, calling for an overhaul of the state’s dysfunctional government and saying he is the man to lead this change.

“State government overspends, overtaxes, and over reaches. It is polarized, unresponsive and unaccountable. It has destroyed rather than created jobs,” Lazio said in a speech in Albany, N.Y. “New York’s government is about the past, and we need a Governor who relentlessly focuses on the future.”

The former congressman, who represented New York’s 2nd District from 1993 to 2001, is the first Republican in the race. But looming in the wings is former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. A poll released Tuesday morning by Siena College confirms Giuliani would easily defeat Lazio in a primary and would be much more competitive in the general election.