Former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey said today that he'd run once again for the Senate, giving Democrats hope that they could hold on to the seat left open by Nebraska senior Sen. Ben Nelson, who announced last March that he would not seek a third Senate term.

Kerrey, a 68-year-old former governor and presidential candidate, said in early February that he wouldn't run for Senate because it wasn't right for his family. This week, he reconsidered.

Kerrey announced his decision to run the day after Sen. Olympia Snowe, a moderate Republican from Maine, said she wouldn't seek re-election because politics had become too toxic. Snow's  decision also gave Democrats a  reason to believe they could retain a majority in the upper chamber.

After moving from Nebraska to New York City to lead the New School, Kerrey has drawn criticism from Republicans that his real home is in New York, not the state where he served as an elected official.

"Doing things the conventional way has never been my strong suit," Kerrey said in a statement. "This afternoon, I will file to become a candidate for the United States Senate in Nebraska. I came to realize that my previous decision was the easy one, not the right one. My commitment to serve Nebraska and America, and to be part of the debate about the challenges we face was too strong to dismiss. My family supports this decision 100 percent.  I look forward to seeing you in the coming weeks. We have a lot of work to do."