New York Mayor Bill de Blasio backs Bernie Sanders over predecessor Mike Bloomberg

‘New Yorkers know all too well the damage caused by Donald Trump’s xenophobia, bigotry and recklessness,’ de Blasio says

De Blasio, who has strained relations with Bloomberg, has repeatedly voiced opposition to the billionaire’s late presidential bid

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New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio with Senator Bernie Sanders. Photo: TNS

Published: 9:40am, 15 Feb 2020Updated: 9:49am, 15 Feb 2020

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is endorsing Bernie Sanders for president, a move that puts de Blasio in a position to become a leading voice in opposition to Sanders’ newest rival, Mike Bloomberg, his predecessor in leading the nation’s largest city.

De Blasio, an unabashed liberal who was elected in 2013, will campaign for Sanders in Nevada this weekend, the Sanders campaign said on Friday in a news release. De Blasio hopes to be a significant surrogate for Sanders four years after he dithered about his presidential endorsement and, late in the primary process, backed Hillary Clinton instead of the Vermont senator, who shared far more of his ideology.

“I am standing with Bernie because he stands with working families, and always has,” de Blasio said in the news release. “New Yorkers know all too well the damage caused by Donald Trump’s xenophobia, bigotry and recklessness, and Bernie is the candidate to take him on and take him down.”

De Blasio, whose own 2020 presidential bid ended with a whimper months before any votes were cast, could play an important role for Sanders, who now sits atop the progressive portion of the Democratic field, as the senator squares off against several more moderate choices, including Bloomberg, who led New York for the 12 years before de Blasio.

De Blasio’s 2013 campaign was styled as a rebuke to Bloomberg, who oversaw a city that rebuilt itself after the September 11 terror attacks to become the nation’s safest biggest city and leading tourist destination. But Bloomberg’s tenure also saw a sharp rise in income inequality and concern about police tactics like stop and frisk, which disproportionately affected communities of colour.

De Blasio, who has frosty relations with his predecessor, has repeatedly voiced his opposition to the billionaire’s late presidential bid.

“This is a Democratic Party today that’s getting more progressive, that wants to address the concerns of working people, that does not accept the status quo,” de Blasio said after Bloomberg announced his candidacy. “There’s no way in the world we should nominate a billionaire who epitomises the status quo.”