Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio drops out of race for Congress

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Ex-NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio drops out of race for Congress

Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped his campaign for Congress Tuesday.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped his campaign for Congress Tuesday, two months after announcing he was running for the redrawn district that includes his Brooklyn home.

"It's clear the people of #NY10 are looking for another option, and I respect that," de Blasio posted on social media. "Time for me to leave electoral politics and focus on other ways to serve. I am really grateful for all the people I met, the stories I heard and the many good souls who helped out. Thank you all!"

De Blasio, whose second mayoral term ended last year, announced his candidacy on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," saying he would seek the Democratic nomination for the 10th Congressional District, which will include part of Manhattan and a swath of western Brooklyn.

"We are going through so many challenges right now," De Blasio told Eyewitness News reporter NJ Burkett at the time. "I have talked to so many New Yorkers who are really struggling, because of COVID, because of the cost of living, and they need real answers. They need help now."

(Previous coverage in video player above)

He acknowledged his poll numbers were not high when he left office but said he believed voters knew he had the best of intentions.

Those poor polling numbers, however, continued throughout his campaign.

In the latest poll, released Monday by the Progressive Working Families Party -- a group that represents de Blasio's core constituency but opted not to endorse him -- 49% of the respondents said they "definitely will not vote for" de Blasio.

Working Family's endorsed candidate, Assemblywoman Yuh Line Niou, tied with City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera at 16% as the front runners of their poll.

Former house impeachment attorney Daniel Goldman, who likely has been pouring his personal fortune in TV ads, received 10%, and Rep. Mondaire Jones got 8%.

De Blasio received just 3% in that poll.

Asked about a Data for Progress poll released Thursday that showed him in seventh place with just 5%, the former mayor said that if he had made his decisions solely based on polling in prior races, "I would have just walked away. Polls are decreasingly able to predict what is going to happen on Election Day."

That poll also showed the race appearing to be between Rivera with 17%, Niou with 14%, and Goldman with 12%.

De Blasio has only managed to raise about $510,000, against $3 million from Jones and $1.2 million from Goldman.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler represents New York's 10th District now but will no longer live in the district under maps that have been redrawn under the supervision of a New York judge.

Nadler is now running in the 12th District, currently represented by Rep. Carolyn Maloney.

The primary has been pushed back from June to August 23.

De Blasio, 61, toyed with running for governor this year but decided not to challenge incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul. He also had a short-lived run for president in 2019.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)

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