Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio may be planning to jump back into the political fray by mounting a bid for U.S. Congress.
“He’s in, he’s running – he’s calling people,” state Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein said, according to the New York Post. “Based on the conversation that I had with him earlier today, he is running for Congress in the new NY-10 congressional district.”
“He called me earlier this afternoon. While I will keep our conversation private, I will confirm that we spoke for over 20 minutes about his decision to run for this district,” Eichenstein said, according to the outlet.
A congressional map that had been approved by the Democratic-controlled state legislature was slapped down by the state Court of Appeals last month. A new map has been crafted by a court-appointed expert, according to the Washington Post, which indicated that state Judge Patrick F. McAllister is expected to green light district boundaries on Friday.
De Blasio mounted a presidential run in 2019 before dropping out later that same year.
After announcing in January that he would not pursue a gubernatorial bid, de Blasio announced in February that he would not run in the state’s 11th Congressional District.
“I’ve represented the neighborhoods of the 11th CD for years and I love the people who live here. It was gratifying to connect with community and elected leaders while I considered a run. I’m certain a progressive can win this seat and serve us in Washington,” de Blasio tweeted. “Back in January, I made a decision to focus on advocating for policies that would continue to drive down income inequality in New York – one of my proudest achievements. I’m going to stick with that decision – it was the right one then and it remains so.”
In a piece published in the Atlantic earlier this month, de Blasio wrote, “when it comes to being unpopular, I’m unfortunately somewhat of an expert. I made my fair share of mistakes.”
“I failed to give New Yorkers a clear sense of where I was taking them. I lost my connection with the people because I mistook real policy for real popularity. I let a focus on individual initiatives, no matter how noble or substantive, distract me from offering an overarching vision for the future,” he wrote. “Voters need to know both what you’re up to and why you’re up to it. You have to help them feel your efforts.”