NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio Considers Run For Governor; Says Broadway Will Revive City & Deadly Storms Need New Responses

Jill Goldsmith
·2 min read
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New York Mayor Bill de Blasio indicated Friday on Morning Joe that he’s considering running for Governor of New York to fill the shoes of his onetime nemesis Andrew Cuomo, a larger than life figure who resigned last month amid multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.

Former Lieutenant Gov. Kathy Hochul has the reins now and de Blasio said they’ve been working closely on response to the devastating rainfall in the state that resulted in 15 deaths, including 13 in the city – 11 in basement apartments that became aquatic deathtraps, and several in cars. The rainfall was the heaviest ever recorded in NYC history and, the mayor said, will require different sorts of public alerting going forward including travel bans and evacuation orders that until now had only been used in coastal areas. Water rescues, including from Central Park, are uncharted territory for first responders in the city.

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De Blasio has a controversial record and reputation in New York City. His bid for the 2020 Democratic nominee for president fizzled quickly in a crowded field. He’s finishing up his second and last term with Democrat Eric Adams set to follow him after elections in November. But the current mayor indicated he’s not done with public service.

“First of all, I am collaborating and working with Gov. Hochul to address this crisis … We have been talking constantly. We respect each other. We like each other. The politics, that is next year, that’ a whole other world,” he said.

Pressed by host Willie Geist on reports that he’d been calling labor groups to explore a run, de Blasio did not deny it and said: “I will want to keep serving in one way or another in the future, so I will look at different options.”

“I believe in public service. I have been in it my whole life. I want to continue working on crucial issues and causes… So we will see what the future brings,” he said.

The storm hit as the attempts to contain the Delta variant and emerge from the pandemic, with stricter vaccine and mask mandates as events including Broadway shows, which are starting to open this month. “The city is coming back and Broadway is coming back and people are feeling it. It is literally happening right now and going to change life in the city and really move us forward,” De Blasio said.

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