Bill De Blasio Drops Out Of Presidential Race
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped out of the presidential race Friday after failing to qualify for the most recent Democratic debate earlier this month.
“It’s clearly not my time,” he said, announcing his departure from the 2020 contest for the party’s nomination on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
De Blasio struggled to gain traction as a candidate. Though he regularly polled below 1%, the two-term mayor dismissed concerns about his electability.
In a late August CNN interview, De Blasio argued that, as one of the last candidates to enter the race, Democratic voters just needed more time to get to know him.
“There is not ... I think, a sense among Democratic voters that they are secure in where they want to go,” he told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota. “The vast majority of Democratic voters are going to make their decision late.”
2020 hopeful Bill de Blasio reacts to ranking low in new CNN poll: "There is not, in the end I think, a sense among Democratic voters that they are secure where they want to go. The vast majority of Democratic voters are going to make their decision late" https://t.co/UAFHGyRvAq pic.twitter.com/fcNll8jP4U
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 20, 2019
De Blasio said Friday he will support whoever becomes the Democratic nominee, but added: “I do believe we need a progressive.”
His campaign had touted his experience as mayor of the country’s largest city, though many New Yorkers have criticized his leadership.
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