Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio hinted Friday that he is considering running for New York governor in the 2022 gubernatorial election.
De Blasio’s term as mayor is set to end December 31, 2021, after serving the maximum of two terms in office, Politico reported. The mayor joined “Morning Joe” early Friday, admitting that he is “absolutely” considering a future political career beyond his current mayoral position, according to the New York Post.
“The politics, that’s next year. But look, I believe in public service, I’ve done it my whole life. I want to keep working on crucial issues and causes. So we’ll see what the future brings,” de Blasio told MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough. “I want to keep serving in one way or another in the future, so I’m going to look at different options. Absolutely.”
De Blasio reportedly called several labor leaders asking for their support for his potential gubernatorial run, Politico reported. (RELATED: Poll: Most New Yorkers Don’t Want To See De Blasio Re-elected)
“He’s letting the leaders know that he’s considering running for governor,” a union member told the outlet. “He’s just asking friends to hold off on making a decision. It was just to let them know that he’s seriously considering running with the explicit purpose of trying to head off momentum for Tish [James] and Kathy [Hochul].”
Bill de Blasio for governor of New York? https://t.co/LgJkgqP2Jv
— Ken Yeung (@thekenyeung) September 2, 2021
Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul assumed office Aug. 24 after former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned from office in response to the New York Attorney General’s Office conclusion that he “sexually harassed a number of State employees through unwelcome and unwanted touching, as well as making numerous offensive and sexually suggestive comments.”
Several current and former aides of de Blasio have said that he intends to stay in politics following the end of his mayoral term, but he will undoubtedly face a challenge in his gubernatorial campaign due to Attorney General Tish James’ popular support amongst black voters in Brooklyn and Queens, according to Politico.
Peter Ragone, a friend of de Blasio’s, said that the mayor’s “commitment to public service” qualifies him to seek a future political career, the outlet reported.
“Whenever we talk, the mayor’s focus is always on fighting COVID and [the city’s] recovery. He’s an elected leader who proved he can accomplish big things like getting 70,000 children into universal pre-kindergarten,” Ragone said. “I think anyone with that kind of record and commitment to public service should consider other options to contribute, whatever form that takes.”
De Blasio received a 37% approval rating among New York voters while 47% disapprove of his performance, according to an NY1/Ipsos poll. The poll surveyed 3,249 New York City residents between May 17-31, 2021 with a 2.4% margin of error.