Eliot Spitzer Ad: 'Look, I Failed Big Time' (VIDEO)

Two weeks after announcing he was running for New York City Comptroller, former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) released an ad on Monday, stressing how his past failures have motivated him to run.

"Look, I failed big time. I hurt a lot of people," says Spitzer in the one-minute spot released on his campaign's YouTube page. "When you dig yourself a hole, you can either lie in it for the rest of your life, or do something positive."

"That's why I'm running," Spitzer adds.

In a New York Times piece published July 7, Spitzer jumped into the race, saying that he was "hopeful there will be forgiveness" for his involvement in a 2008 prostitution scandal. Emotions were high from the start, with Spitzer coming to tears during a July 9 appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

"A lot of pain," said Spitzer in response to a question on how he has changed over the past five years. "A lot of pain. You go through that pain, you change."

Recent numbers show that forgiveness may be in the cards. A July 15 Quinnipiac University poll found Spitzer with a 15-point lead in the Democratic primary over challenger Scott Stringer.