Mayor de Blasio Says He is “Very Seriously” Considering Running for Governor of NY

By Yehudit Garmaise

Mayor Bill de Blasio is “very seriously" considering a run for governor, he said in a fundraising email to donors today.

Many times at his morning press conferences, when he is asked about his potential run, the mayor has said that he “is and will remain a public servant,” and that he would not consider working in the private sector after he leaves City Hall.

Just yesterday, Mayor de Blasio announced the release of an annual report that he said provided evidence that he has made significant headway in “reaching the folks who are struggling the most, reaching them in a new way, lifting them out of poverty, changing their lives, and giving them better futures,” the mayor said  in what seemed to be an effort to characterize his eight years as a successful champion of the poor in a way that might set the stage for a run for governor.

“Back in 2015, we set a very powerful goal, thinking about all the New Yorkers below the poverty line and near the poverty line, folks who were really, really struggling,” said the mayor, who said, in 2015, he set a goal “of moving 800,000 New Yorkers out of poverty in the course of 10 years.” 

“By 2019, when poverty rates were the lowest they had ever been,” the mayor said, “we had uplifted 521,000 New Yorkers out of poverty, and it was a universal reality across ages and races because we put a series of policies in place that all complemented each other."

Although reporters then questioned the mayor on the increase in homelessness, crime, and other social problems during his administration, today, the mayor pressed on with his dream to lead the state. 

"I am thinking about it because I believe we can revolutionize public education in this state," Mayor de Blasio. "We can guarantee 3-K and Pre-K, after-school programs ,and summer enrichment for every child who wants it in this state: just like we did in New York City.”

Always a fan of the idea to “tax the rich,” the mayor added, "and I am thinking about [running for governor] because I believe if we are going to do anything to move New York State forward, the wealthy simply must pay their fair share: which many in Albany refuse to even consider."