AUGUSTA — Eliot Cutler, an independent who finished a close second to Republican Gov. Paul LePage in 2010, confirmed Thursday morning that he plans to run for governor in 2014.

When asked by WGAN radio morning show host Mike Violette if he’s running for governor in 2014, Cutler replied, “I am.” Cutler, who has filed as a candidate with the Maine Ethics Commission, said it would be “disingenuous” to deny that he’s running and that he would make a formal announcement after Labor Day.

“You guys have been pressing me for months to announce on your show. I figured I couldn’t make a formal announcement on your show, but I can announce that I will announce,” Cutler said. He rebuffed the suggestion that his candidacy would spoil the Democrats’ chances and result in LePage’s re-election.

“I wouldn’t run if I didn’t think I could win a three-way race,” Cutler said.

LePage has filed with the Maine Ethics Commission as a 2014 gubernatorial candidate, but he has not formally announced that he’ll seek re-election.

LePage’s political advisor Brent Littlefield characterized the anouncement as, “a yawn.”

“A yawn could describe the public’s reaction to Eliot Cutler’s words today,” Littlefield said in a prepared statement. “This is not a secret. After spending hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money on his campaign, and on other exploits like One Maine, it is clear that politician Eliot Cutler could not give up on his personal dream of becoming governor.”

U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, a Democrat who represents Maine’s 2nd District, has said he’s considering a gubernatorial run and is considered the party’s strongest candidate. Former Gov. John Baldacci also has expressed interest in seeking the office again if Michaud does not run.

Steve Woods, a businessman and Yarmouth Town Council chairman, is the only Democrat to declare formally his candidacy.