Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Friday that he will run for Congress in a newly drawn district that includes parts of Manhattan and his home borough of Brooklyn.
De Blasio left office less than six months ago after serving two terms as mayor. He had previously considered a run for governor before deciding against it. But with the jumbling of New York’s redistricting process, which has seen one congressional map drawn by state Democratic lawmakers struck down by New York’s highest court y un new one, drawn by a court-appointed “special master,” now nearing approval, de Blasio saw his opportunity.
“Wherever I go, people ask: can things get better? I say from my heart: YES, but WE have to make them better,” de Blasio tweeted Friday morning. “In our neighborhoods and our nation, the way to save our democracy is to be part of it. So as I declare my candidacy in #NY10 I ask you to join us.”
He first made the announcement during an appearance Friday on MSNBC. De Blasio, whose failed bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination hurt his standing at home, said his time as mayor gave him a unique insight into the city’s troubles.
“Polls show people are hurting, they need help, they need help fast, they need leaders that can actually get them help now,” de Blasio dijo. “I know how to do it from years of serving the people of this city.”
De Blasio’s entry is the latest in a series of jolts to the New York political scene that have followed the release of the new map, which would split some traditionally Black neighborhoods and could effectively force incumbent Black lawmakers to face off against each other in primary contests. Despite the pushback, led by Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who has called the map “a sledgehammer to Black districts” y “enough to make Jim Crow blush,” the new lines are expected to be approved.
It is unclear who de Blasio will square off against in the Democratic primary for the new 10th Congressional District. But the race is expected to be crowded and competitive.
The borders for the new 12th District in Manhattan have already set off a primary clash between longtime Democratic incumbent Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler. Reps. Sean Patrick Maloney’s controversial decision to run in the 17th District could see him face off in the primary against freshman Rep. Mondaire Jones, another incumbent unmoored by the redistricting process. Jones, aunque, could also run in the new 16th District against Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a fellow Black Democrat.
This story has been updated with additional details.
