Newark Mayor Cory Booker formally announced his candidacy Saturday in the U.S. Senate race to finish the term of the late Frank Lautenberg, The Huffington Post reported.

"I'm here today to officially announce my candidacy to be New Jersey's next United States senator," Booker said at a Newark press conference Saturday morning.

Booker is running to fill the seat of the late Lautenberg, whom he called a "giant in the United States Senate."

The 44-year-old Democrat will run in the August primary and in a special election in October, which many believe that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called to keep the popular Booker off the November ballot.

Booker was joined at the news conference in which he made his announcement in Newark by former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley. Bradley is a former pro basketball player who held the seat Booker is seeking for 18 years. Bradley introduced and endorsed Booker at the event.

Bradley called him "the right person for the right office at the right time."

Reps. Frank Pallone and Rush Holt also plan to enter the Democratic primary and Booker is considered the early front-runner.

The only Republican running so far is former Bogota mayor Steve Lonegan who runs the New Jersey office of Americans for Prosperity.

Booker began fundraising for a 2014 Senate campaign after her announced he would not run against Christie for governor. Booker said he wanted to finish his term in Newark which ends in June 2014. If he wins the Senate election he will not be able to complete his mayoral term.

View a video of Booker's announcement below.

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