Carly Fiorina, a former Hewlett Packard CEO and economic adviser to 2008 presidential candidate John McCain, took one step closer to making official her bid for the U.S. Senate in California. Fiorina registered a campaign committee -- "Carly for California" -- allowing her to begin raising cash for the 2010 election, AP reports.

In a statement, Fiorina said she had been encouraged to run by "people across the political spectrum" and will begin meeting with policy advisers and financial donors.

"The people of California have serious concerns about job creation, economic growth and the role of government in solving problems that touch each of our lives," she said.

Spokeswoman Beth Miller said Fiorina would not be available Tuesday for an interview, and there was no timetable for making a formal announcement about a Senate bid.

Fiorina, who was known as a powerful and successful businesswoman until her ouster at HP in 2005, was front-and-center as a McCain surrogate last year, making appearances on radio and TV in support of the GOP nominee. That changed, though, when in two mid-September interviews Fiorina said neither John McCain nor Sarah Palin could run a corporation, such as HP.

She's now aiming for the seat of three-term Sen. Barbara Boxer (D). A survey last week from the liberal Daily Kos, conducted by independent pollster Research 2000, found Boxer with a 21-point lead.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee quickly jumped on today's news, issuing a statement criticizing Fiorina's record.

"This is a person who was fired from Hewlett Packard for running the company into the ground, fired from the McCain Presidential Campaign for incompetence, and now thinks the people of California are going to hire her. Carly Fiorina was named one of the twenty worst CEOs in the country yet still escaped with a 21 million dollar golden parachute," said DSCC spokesman Eric Schultz.