Jami Floyd, a veteran journalist and attorney, spoke with News 12’s senior reporter Tara Rosenblum for her first interview since declaring her candidacy in New York's 12th congressional district.

She says she is ready to trade in her press pass for public service.

“This is really a crisis moment for our country – and I feel called to this,” said Floyd.

She officially kicked off her campaign Tuesday morning, becoming the latest Democrat to jump into the race to replace longtime Rep. Jerry Nadler. He announced last month that he won’t seek reelection after more than three decades in office.

Floyd, a former ABC News and Court TV anchor who also served in the Clinton administration, says she's running as a moderate Democrat focused on results, not rhetoric.

“What's happened is [the Democratic] Party has moved from center to far left – and I’m left standing at the center. At the moderate point,” she said. “People I'm talking to feel the Democratic Party is not listening anymore [about the issues] that matter most – housing, health care, cost of food, not to mention public safety.

A political battle will test if there's still space for centrist voices in one of the nation's bluest districts. It’s likely to become one of the most competitive and crowded Democratic primaries on the ballot – with Assemblyman Micah Lasher already in and John F. Kennedy’s grandson Jack Schlossberg and Councilman Erik Botcher both considering a run.

Tara Rosenblum was the first to report Floyd entering the race.