Feb. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Consumer advocate Ralph Nader said he will run again for the U.S. presidency as an independent, a bid that Democrats said threatens to drain votes away from their candidate and may help re-elect President George W. Bush.

``This country has more problems and injustices than it deserves,'' Nader said on NBC's ``Meet the Press.'' ``There's too much power and wealth in too few hands.''

He called Washington ``corporate-occupied territory'' and said Republicans and Democrats are failing to put the interests of individual citizens ahead of companies.

Nader, 69, who founded the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, was the Green Party's presidential candidate in 2000 and won 2.7 percent of the vote nationally. He got 97,488 votes in Florida out of about 6 million cast, according to Federal Election Commission records. Bush won the presidency with the state's 25 electoral votes after the U.S. Supreme Court stopped a recount of ballots sought by Democrat Al Gore, who trailed the Republican in Florida by 537 votes.

Nader gained national attention with his 1965 book ``Unsafe At Any Speed,'' which criticized U.S. automakers such as General Motors Corp. for ignoring safety concerns. He has campaigned against corporate influence and pushed the government to enact environment regulations.

`Not Going to Help'

``Ralph's made some great contributions to consumer issues over the years, but clearly it's not going to help us,'' New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, a Democrat, said on the ``Fox News Sunday'' program.

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, another Democrat, said the on the Fox program that ``many would say his candidacy gave the presidency to George Bush'' in 2000.

Republican National Committee Chairman Edward Gillespie and Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe said Nader won't have as big an impact this year, though they cited different reasons.

``If Ralph Nader runs, the president is going to be re- elected, and if Ralph Nader doesn't run the president is going to be re-elected,'' Gillespie said on CBS's ``Face the Nation.''

McAuliffe said that ``it'll be much more difficult'' for Nader without the support from the Green Party, which has organizations in 43 states.

Appealing to Greens

``Green Party members are all coming into the party and saying they want to help us, because they know the stakes are so big this time,'' McAuliffe said.

The Democratic nominee will be named at the party's national convention in July in Boston. Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and North Carolina Senator John Edwards are the two leading contenders in the race.

Kerry, who has won 15 of 17 Democratic primary contests so far, said in Atlanta today that the Democratic campaign will be attractive to potential Nader voters.

``I'm going to appeal to everybody in this race,'' Kerry told reporters after attending services at Ebenezer Baptist Church. ``It will make it unnecessary, in the end, for an alternative.''

Asked whether he would withdraw if it became clear his candidacy would result in Bush's reelection, Nader said he would answer ``when and if that eventuality occurs.''

The advocacy group Public Citizen, founded by Nader in 1971, will remove Nader's name from its letterhead if he runs for president again, spokeswoman LuAnn Canipe said.

Public Citizen is no longer affiliated with Nader and doesn't engage in partisan electoral politics, she said.

Nader declined to seek the Green Party nomination this year and his nomination wasn't assured if he had, said Scott McLarty, a party spokesman.

Some party members also advised Nader not to run to avoid having the party be blamed for drawing votes from Democrats again, McLarty said.

``Some people were nervous that we might spoil or be perceived as spoilers in the election,'' McLarty said. The party has an estimated 300,000 members nationwide, he said.

Nader's participation was only one factor in Bush's victory, along with Gore's weak campaign, the bias of the justices on the Supreme Court and unfair voter access laws in Florida, McLarty said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jim O'Connell at joconnell@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: February 22, 2004 16:39 EST