BROOKLYN (AP) — Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday that he is ending his campaign for a U.S. House seat in New York, dropping out after two months by saying it’s clear “people are looking for another option.”
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The Democrat was running in a crowded primary for a deep-blue congressional district that includes his Brooklyn home and parts of southern Manhattan.
“I’ve listened really carefully to people and it’s clear to me that when it comes to this congressional district, people are looking for another option. And I respect that,” de Blasio said in a video posted online Tuesday.
His campaign was launched months after his tenure as mayor ended and was the latest attempt by de Blasio to further his national political ambitions.
He considered running for governor of New York but opted not to challenge incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul. He also had a short-lived run for president in 2019, which lasted two months longer than this year’s congressional campaign.
De Blasio became the city’s first Democratic mayor in two decades when he won election in 2013. His early achievements included expanding public prekindergarten to every 4-year-old in the city and later including more 3-year-olds. He also curtailed the police stop-and-frisk tactic and helped push through a $15 an hour minimum wage.
But by the time his second term ended on Dec. 31, 2021, his tenure was also marked by a series of gaffes, high-profile conflicts and strained relationships with progressives and the city’s police.
The former mayor seemed to acknowledge that in his video announcing he was ending his campaign, saying, “I’ve made mistakes. I want to do better in the future.”
De Blasio also said he wants to keep serving the public: “I’m going to find a different way to serve,” he said.
Recent polling had placed de Blasio near the bottom of the field of 13 Democrats seeking to represent New York’s 10th Congressional District. Other candidates in running in the Aug. 23 primary include U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones, who currently represents a Hudson Valley seat but decided to make a 2022 campaign further south in the metropolis, along with New York City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, former Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman, who last served in Congress in 1981, and Daniel Goldman, the former federal prosecutor who served as counsel to House Democrats in the first impeachment inquiry against former president Donald Trump.
Rep. Jerry Nadler represents New York’s 10th district now but will no longer live in it after redistricting.
It’s clear the people of #NY10 are looking for another option and I respect that. 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! pic.twitter.com/gpt6V6WLUf
— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) July 19, 2022
Big thank you to @AlexRapaport for his hospitality in opening up his home and hosting this lively community conversation last night. Great to see so many wonderful longtime friends from Borough Park! pic.twitter.com/f8BqqcSt01
— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) July 19, 2022
Good riddance, Warren Wilhelm. Don’t slam the door on the way out.
He wants to serve? Many people need to avoid the $350.00 fine for their dogs doing their business. He could walk around and alert people when their meter tickets are up. He could work at the airport and wheel around invalids. He could paint crosswalks. C’mon man, there are so many ways to serve.
Boruch Shepotrani! The worst Mayor NYC has ever had.
It’s time to tell Bobov to stop running after this Antisemite
Good riddance to the absolutely worst Mayor, in the history of the City of New York.
This election that DeBlasio just dropped out of.
Borough Park is going with Law & Order Public Safety Pro Police candidate for Congress NY-D10 Brian Robinson (@VoteBrian on Twitter)
Brian Robinson Supports the NYPD & is Very Pro Yeshivas, Pro Israel & Anti Covid Mandates.
Vote Brian Robinson @VoteBrian to represent Borough Park in Congress.
Public Safety Law & Order common sense moderate Congressional candidate for #NY10 is Brian Robinson Congress (@VoteBrian Twitter)
Brian Robinson was running against DeBlasio (and is running against multiple other anti Israel pro crime radicals) for Congress.
Although the Frum community benefited a lot from Deblasio as a mayor he was a huge failure.
The cities decline sinking in a cesspool is thanks to deblasio and continuing by ineffective עבד כי ימלוך Adams.
High time for Adams to leave.
The ONLY 100% Pro Israel candidate in this NY-D10 race is Brian Robinson Congress.
Brian Robinson is Jewish & attends Chabad in lower Manhattan.
He fully Supports Israel / Yeshivas / Police.
He shares our Frum values.
Let’s IYH help him win!
Ha Ha Ha, egg in the face of all the so called Jewish leaders who endorsed the Jew hating commie.
In this video, Bill DeBlasio is correct!
#NY10 wants a different option, Goldman/Rivera/BDS YuhLine Niou/Jones/Holtzman are ALL the same pro crime Defund radicals options.
It’s time for a moderate common sense Law & Order change.
Vote for Public Safety Congressional candidate #NY10 Brian Robinson for Borough Park.
I’m getting sick of this spam promoting Brian Robertson. I think I’ll find a different candidate to vote for.
Oh my gosh. What are all the askanim going to do? After I believe more than 15 years of playing footsie with this anti-semite, and telling us to vote for him? Now they have to start over and look for a new anti-semite to love. Poor Pinny Ringel. Poor Yeruchim Silber. And the rest of the self hating jews.
He made his money off this already from fundraising. No need to go through the whole rigamarole. He took the money and ran.
Sorry folks, I must say what I’m about to say, no matter how much people gonna dislike it. It’s a disgrace for Am Yisroel to talk like this about any other human being. You may disagree with his opinions, values and perspectives, but as a human being, especially when he tried to be nice to us, we need to give the minimum respect! Especially that we are in Galos, and you never know if he will ever run for something else “to serve” and act to us according to the comments! Watch your mouth, people!