USA TODAY International Edition
NYC’s de Blasio enters presidential field
ALBANY, N.Y. – New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is joining the crowded Democratic presidential race, announcing his candidacy Thursday and touting his record as leading the largest U.S. city.
De Blasio, first elected in 2013, released a campaign video and planned to discuss his run on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Then he heads to Iowa and South Carolina.
“I’m a New Yorker. I’ve known Trump’s a bully for a long time,” de Blasio, 58, said in his campaign video about President Donald Trump, a native New Yorker.
“This is not news to me or anyone else here. And I know how to take him on.”
In the video, the city’s former public advocate and campaign manager for Hillary Clinton’s Senate run in 2000 runs down a list of accomplishments in New York City during his tenure.
He is running under the slogan “Working People First.”
He highlights the city’s $15-an-hour minimum wage, paid family leave, universal pre-kindergarten and health care to all city residents.
“People in every part of this country feel stuck or even like they are going backwards,” the mayor said in the video. “But the rich got richer.”
The mayor has explored a run for president for more than a year, trying to promote his progressive agenda.
De Blasio, though, will have work to do to gain traction in the Democratic presidential field that totals more than 20 candidates, and he has been dogged by investigations into his administration over campaign fundraising.
Even New Yorkers aren’t sold on a de Blasio run for president, despite him easily winning two terms. A recent Quinnipiac University poll found 76% of city voters didn’t want him to run.
De Blasio becomes the second New York elected official running for president, joining Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.