Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is expected to file paperwork ahead of this week’s early deadline to enter the Alabama Democratic presidential primary as he seriously considers entering the race to take on President Trump in next year’s general election, according to The New York Times.
Howard Wolfson, a close adviser to Mr. Bloomberg, said on Thursday that Bloomberg is “increasingly concerned that the current field of candidates is not well positioned” to defeat President Trump.
“If Mike runs, he would offer a new choice to Democrats built on a unique record running America’s biggest city, building a business from scratch and taking on some of America’s toughest challenges as a high-impact philanthropist,” Wolfson said.
Bloomberg had previously announced in February that he would spend $500 million to defeat Trump, but initially ruled out his own run for president in a March Bloomberg op-ed.
“I know what it takes to run a winning campaign, and every day when I read the news, I grow more frustrated by the incompetence in the Oval Office. I know we can do better as a country. And I believe I would defeat Donald Trump in a general election. But I am clear-eyed about the difficulty of winning the Democratic nomination in such a crowded field.” Bloomberg wrote at the time.
Last month, the Times reported that Bloomberg had reportedly expressed privately to Democrats that he would enter the race if he thought he could be successful, but had doubts about a potential opening.
Bloomberg is largely seen as a direct competitor to former vice president and moderate Democrat Joe Biden, as well as an alternative option to progressives Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.