Michael Bloomberg announced Monday he will not launch a third-party bid for president, saying he determined he could not win and feared his entrance would help elect Donald Trump or [crscore]Ted Cruz[/crscore].
Explaining his decision on Bloomberg View, the pro-gun control former New York City mayor said that after looking at polling data, it became clear “if I entered the race, I could not win.”
“I believe I could win a number of diverse states — but not enough to win the 270 Electoral College votes necessary to win the presidency,” Bloomberg said.
He added: “As the race stands now, with Republicans in charge of both Houses, there is a good chance that my candidacy could lead to the election of Donald Trump or Senator Ted Cruz. That is not a risk I can take in good conscience.”
A nationwide poll of a a hypothetical three-way match-up conducted in January showed Trump with 37 percent, Hillary Clinton with 33 percent and Bloomberg with 29 percent.
In his decision, Bloomberg took hits at both Republicans and Democrats. “The leading Democratic candidates have attacked policies that spurred growth and opportunity under President Bill Clinton — support for trade, charter schools, deficit reduction and the financial sector. Meanwhile, the leading Republican candidates have attacked policies that spurred growth and opportunity under President Ronald Reagan, including immigration reform, compromise on taxes and entitlement reform, and support for bipartisan budgets.”