Attorney General Andrew Cuomo received upstate the endorsement of the state's Independence Party for the race for governor Tuesday, right before state Democrats launched their own nominating convention in Rye Brook, N.Y.

After receiving the nod in Troy, N.Y., Cuomo will now be on two lines on November's ballot, since he has no major rivals for the Democratic Party's nomination.

There is still no indication who Cuomo will ask to be his lieutenant governor nominee, but some think he may look for someone from upstate or a woman to help balance the ticket's demographics.

The Democratic frontrunner is looking for support from both sides of the political aisle, reaching out to conservative and independent voters, and adding three veteran Republicans to his campaign staff.

"I'm not going to run a hyper-partisan campaign. I wasn't a hyper-partisan attorney general, I don't want to be a hyper-partisan governor. When you're a statewide elected official you represent all the people," Cuomo said.

While the Independence party backed Democrat Eliot Spitzer four years ago, the party carried Rochester businessman Tom Golisano three times.

"We've been a line that is the party of political reform. We honestly feel that we're in a comfortable spot for people in other parties to vote for a candidate in another party," said New York State Independence Party Chairman Frank McKay.

As for the Working Families Party line, Cuomo is under pressure to refuse its endorsement amid an investigation into its for-profit arms.

If the party fails to get 50,000 votes in November, it will lose its automatic placement on the ballot in four years.

Meanwhile, the Manhattan district attorney's office is investigating whether a Bloomberg campaign operative tied to the party took hundreds of thousands of dollars from a donation the mayor made to Independents.

When asked about the probe Tuesday, Cuomo said he was only familiar with what he has read in media reports.

"That investigation did not involve or suggest wrongdoing by the Independence party as en entity. It was focusing on an individual. And then we'll see what happens with that investigation," Cuomo said.

Meanwhile, another Republican is joining the already crowded race for governor, as Manhattan real estate entrepreneur Businessman Myers Mermel announced his candidacy Sunday.

He joins a crowded Republican primary field that includes businessman Carl Paladino, Democrat-turned-Republican Steve Levy and former Long Island Congressman Rick Lazio.