ALBANY -- New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo could be set to follow the same path to the state's governor's mansion as the one taken by his Democratic predecessor, Eliot Spitzer.

Shortly after the shock waves caused by the now-disgraced Spitzer's resignation over his patronage of prostitution had died down, Cuomo's name was being floated to succeed Spitzer as governor. He even got backing from the state's Republican Senate leader, Joseph Bruno, WSJ reported.

Cuomo made himself popular in 2007 by taking on industry groups from student-loan providers to the nation's largest mortgage buyers. In his recent suit against health-care giant UnitedHealth Group he also subpoenaed 16 others, creating speculation of an impending industry-wide lawsuit, LNL reported last month.

Cuomo first ran for governor - unsuccessfully - in 2002 before winning election as attorney general four years later. He is the son of popular ex-Governor Mario Cuomo.