Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will join the crowded Democratic presidential primary field, according to The New York Times.
Bloomberg reportedly filed paperwork for the presidential primary, declaring himself as a candidate in the state of Alabama. Alabama does not have an early primary. The deadline to file for the ballot is Friday.
Potential: “With his immense personal wealth, centrist views and close ties to the political establishment, he would present a grave and instantaneous threat to” Joe Biden, who has been leading the way for most of the Democratic primary field already, according to The New York Times.
- “Bloomberg has been a longstanding ‘maybe’ in the crowded Democratic field, and has not yet made a decision about fully entering the race. But filing is a notable step, as is dispatching staff to Alabama to gather signatures for him to qualify for the ballot,” according to Axios.
Yes, but: A source close to Bloomberg said that he’s still keeping his options open, CNBC reports. But, according to the source, Bloomberg is “troubled” by the current Democratic field. “He’s still not sure,” a source told CNBC.
Howard Wolfson, an adviser to Bloomberg, released a statement about Bloomberg’s concern for the race:
- “Mike believes that Donald Trump represents an unprecedented threat to our nation. In 2016, he spoke out at the Democratic Convention, warning against a Trump presidency. In 2018 he spent more than $100 million to help elect Democrats to ensure that Congress began to hold the President accountable. And this year he helped Democrats win control of both houses of the Virginia legislature. We now need to finish the job and ensure that Trump is defeated — but Mike is increasingly concerned that the current field of candidates is not well positioned to do that. If Mike runs he would offer a new choice to Democrats built on a unique record running America’s biggest city, building a business from scratch and taking on some of America’s toughest challenges as a high-impact philanthropist. Based on his record of accomplishment, leadership and his ability to bring people together to drive change, Mike would be able to take the fight to Trump and win.”