WASHINGTON (Dec. 15) - Former Vice President Al Gore, who came agonizingly close to winning the presidency two years ago, has decided not to run for the White House again in 2004, a senior Gore adviser said Sunday.

Gore likely would have been the early Democratic front-runner and his sudden withdrawal opens up the race to other challengers to an expected re-election bid by President Bush.

Among Democrats, Vermont Gov. Howard Dean already is running and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry has formed an exploratory committee. Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, Gore's running mate in 2000, has said he is interested in running

Also considering a run are Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

Gore planned to announce his decision Sunday night on CBS ''60 Minutes,'' the adviser said.

After gradually re-entering politics over the last year, the Democrats' 2000 presidential nominee campaigned for selected candidates around the country this year, then spent the last month promoting a book on the family that he wrote with wife Tipper. He also has been making an extensive round of media appearances, including ''Saturday Night Live'' this weekend.

Since re-entering the public arena, Gore has talked about his views on issues from Iraq to health care to the economy and sending mixed signals on whether he planned to run.

Some aides said the 54-year-old Gore would feel differently about the decision from day to day. He had said he planned to deliberate through the holidays and announce a decision after Christmas.

But Gore finished a round of media appearances Saturday night and decided to go ahead with the announcement. Aides did not immediately say why he changed his timetable.

A year ago, Gore accepted the job of vice chairman of Metropolitan West Financial, a Los Angeles-based financial services holding company. The former vice president is helping the firm find investments overseas as well as private-equity investments in biotechnology and information technology.

He has been juggling that job with his duties as college professor, guest speaker and author, traveling between New York, Los Angeles, Washington, his teaching jobs in Tennessee and his new home in the suburbs of Nashville.

Many Democratic activists had voiced opposition to Gore running, citing the fumbled opportunities of the 2000 campaign when Gore had the advantages of incumbency and a booming economy. Gore lost the presidency to George W. Bush after an extensive recount in Florida came up short by just over 500 votes.

Gore disappeared from public view for almost a year after the election, saying Bush deserved a chance to begin his presidency without continued criticism from his election opponent. Just as Gore was beginning to re-emerge politically, the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon drastically changed the political climate.

White House officials declined comment Sunday on Gore's announcement.

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