Bloomberg mulls third party bid
Billionaire considers jumping into already complicated presidential race
Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire and former New York mayor, is considering making an independent bid for the presidency, a move that could provide yet another wild turn in a 2016 race that has already seen more than its share of them.
Bloomberg’s deliberations, first reported by The New York Times, were confirmed Saturday by several close associates.
This is not the first time that Bloomberg has explored the possibility, always making a pragmatic calculation of whether winning is feasible.
Three associates said that several factors have convinced him that a run outside of the Republican and Democratic party process is worth another look.
One is the possibility that the Republican ticket may be headed by a polarizing figure, such as his fellow New York billionaire Donald Trump or Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, the two leaders of the GOP race at this stage. Trump, once expected to be a temporary phenomenon, has dominated the large GOP field for so many months that it is no longer assumed that the Republican establishment will be able to stop him.
The other is that the Democratic front-runner, Hillary Clinton, may turn out to be a far weaker candidate than was once expected — and might even lose the nomination to Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist whose mainstream appeal is in question.
If the right combination of those possibilities begins to look likely— which Bloomberg thinks could become apparent in March, after the first big round of state primaries — he believes they could create an opening for him to make a credible run as an independent.
In addition to his considerable financial resources, Bloomberg has a reputation as a skilled manager and political bridge builder. A longtime Democrat, he switched to the Republican party to run for mayor in 2001. Six years later, he changed his registration to independent.
Bloomberg made his fortune by founding the financial news and information company that bears his name. He took office less than four months after New York was traumatized by the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, pledging that the city would remain “ready to lead the world in the 21st century.”