ALBANY - Democrat Andrew Cuomo conceded Tuesday that he doesn't expect an easy time against Republican Jeanine Pirro if he wins his party's nomination for state attorney general.

“I expect it to be a competitive race,” Cuomo said. “I'm working very hard toward November. I'm going from one end of the state to the other. I think upstate New York is going to be key.”

Cuomo, endorsed Tuesday by the New York State Professional Firefighters Association, a union representing 25,000 firefighters, made the comment a day after a statewide poll showed Pirro, the former Westchester County district attorney, had narrowed the gap against the front-running Cuomo in the bid to replace Democrat Eliot Spitzer.

The Siena College Research Institute poll had Cuomo, a former federal housing secretary and elder son of former Gov. Mario Cuomo, leading Pirro, 50 percent to 35 percent. A June survey from the Albany-area polling institute had Cuomo leading Pirro, 54 percent to 28 percent.

Pirro so far is the Republican with the best chance to keep Democrats from sweeping statewide offices in November. Spitzer has a wide lead in polls for the governor's race and Hillary Rodham Clinton is cruising in her bid for a second Senate term.

“Voters are clearly responding to Jeanine as she travels throughout the state talking about her 30-year record as a prosecutor, judge and DA,” said Pirro spokesman John Gallagher.

Facing Cuomo in a Sept. 12 primary are Mark Green, the former New York City public advocate who narrowly lost the 2001 mayor's race; Charlie King, a former federal housing official; and Sean Patrick Maloney, a former aide to President Clinton.