Former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio Ends Campaign For Congress
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Former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) was one of 13 candidates vying to represent a new, solidly Democratic House district. (Photo: Chris Sommerfeldt/Getty Images)
Former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) ended his campaign for the Democratic nomination in New York’s 10th Congressional District on Tuesday, citing the lack of enthusiasm for his bid.
“When it comes to this congressional district, people are looking for another option,” de Blasio said in a video posted to Twitter. “And I respect that.”
Some observers wonder whether there were less savory reasons for de Blasio’s withdrawal from the race. As of the end of June, de Blasio had raised more than $510,000, with $450,000 in cash on hand — a respectable sum that would have kept him in contention. The City, an investigative news outlet, noted that campaign-finance law permits de Blasio to use the funds he raised for his congressional race to pay off debts accrued during his mayoralty and his short-lived presidential run in the 2020 election cycle.
De Blasio launched his short-lived campaign for New York’s 10th, a solidly Democratic district drawn by a court-appointed mapmaker, in late May.
The creation of the seat, which encompasses Lower Manhattan and a cluster of Brooklyn neighborhoods, including de Blasio’s home base of Park Slope, prompted a scramble among up-and-coming local Democrats eager for the rare chance to compete in an open field.
De Blasio was one of 13 Democrats who ultimately made the ballot for the Aug. 23 primary. The list of prominent contenders includes Rep. Mondaire Jones; state Assembly members Yuh-Line Niou and Jo Anne Simon; New York City Council member Carlina Rivera; and Dan Goldman, a former federal prosecutor who led the 2019 impeachment of then-President Donald Trump.
De Blasio’s decision to run surprised some observers, given his controversial leadership as mayor. His eight-year tenure was marked by consistent criticism from centrists and conservatives who viewed him as insufficiently deferential to law enforcement and big business, as well as rising disappointment from progressives who saw him as too deferential to those same constituencies.
De Blasio maintained a loyal base in segments of organized labor and the working- and middle-class Black communities, however. And in a June interview with HuffPost, de Blasio fiercely defended his record, citing, among other things, his efforts to protect tenants in rent-stabilized apartments from rent increases, and the creation of a universal preschool program.
“In New York City, we created one of the closest things to a social democracy in recent United States history,” he said.
But de Blasio struggled to amass endorsements, and an independent poll last week showed him in seventh place with just 5% support.
In the video announcing his withdrawal, an emotional de Blasio revealed that in-person campaigning had been a humbling experience.
“I made mistakes. I want to do better in the future,” he said. “I want to learn from those mistakes.”
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
