Bill de Blasio ends 2020 presidential campaign

The New York mayor made the announcement Friday morning on MSNBC.

ByAlexandra Svokos and Christopher Donato
September 20, 2019, 8:51 AM

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday that he is ending his 2020 presidential campaign.

"Getting out there, being able to hear people's concerns, address them with new ideas has been an extraordinary experience," he said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "But I have to tell you, at the same time I feel like I've contributed all I can to this primary election and it's clearly not my time. So I'm gonna end my presidential campaign, continue my work as mayor of New York City, and I'm gonna keep speaking up for working people."

De Blasio didn't make an endorsement, but did say he would "think about" endorsing another candidate in the future. He "will support of course whoever is the Democratic nominee," he said.

PHOTO: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks during the AFL-CIO Workers Presidential Summit in Philadelphia, Sept. 17, 2019.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks during the AFL-CIO Workers Presidential Summit in Philadelphia, Sept. 17, 2019.
Mark Makela/Reuters

After the announcement, de Blasio took to Twitter to let his followers know that he is ending his campaign.

It’s true: I’m ending my candidacy for president. But our fight on behalf of working people is far from over. https://t.co/wlqhNmcZLv

— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) September 20, 2019

The mayor launched his campaign for the Democratic nomination in May, saying at the time, "Every New Yorker knows we know [President Donald Trump's] tricks, we know his playbook. I know how to take him on."

He had even given the president the nickname, "Con Don."

President Trump reacted to the news on Twitter, writing, "NYC is devastated, he’s coming home!"

Oh no, really big political news, perhaps the biggest story in years! Part time Mayor of New York City, @BilldeBlasio, who was polling at a solid ZERO but had tremendous room for growth, has shocking dropped out of the Presidential race. NYC is devastated, he’s coming home!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 20, 2019

De Blasio ran a progressive campaign, often touting his accomplishments such as implementing universal pre-K.

The mayor said he'll "analyze" why his campaign didn't break out but said one reason was that it "started later than I would have liked."

A recent poll from Siena College revealed that de Blasio received less than 1% of support from New York Democrats. According to the poll, the mayor also has a lower favorability rating among New Yorkers than President Trump.

De Blasio struggled in the polls and had failed to qualify for the third round of Democratic primary debates, hosted by ABC News earlier this month, meaning that he failed to reach 2% or more in at least four national polls or early voting state polls and to receive donations from at least 130,000 unique donors by Aug. 28. De Blasio had only received 6,700 unique donations in the second fundraising quarter.

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The mayor launched his campaign for the Democratic nomination in May, saying at the time, \"Every New Yorker knows we know [President Donald Trump's] tricks, we know his playbook. I know how to take him on.\"

He had even given the president the nickname, \"Con Don.\"

President Trump reacted to the news on Twitter, writing, \"NYC is devastated, he’s coming home!\"

Oh no, really big political news, perhaps the biggest story in years! Part time Mayor of New York City, @BilldeBlasio, who was polling at a solid ZERO but had tremendous room for growth, has shocking dropped out of the Presidential race. NYC is devastated, he’s coming home!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 20, 2019

De Blasio ran a progressive campaign, often touting his accomplishments such as implementing universal pre-K.

The mayor said he'll \"analyze\" why his campaign didn't break out but said one reason was that it \"started later than I would have liked.\"

A recent poll from Siena College revealed that de Blasio received less than 1% of support from New York Democrats. According to the poll, the mayor also has a lower favorability rating among New Yorkers than President Trump.

De Blasio struggled in the polls and had failed to qualify for the third round of Democratic primary debates, hosted by ABC News earlier this month, meaning that he failed to reach 2% or more in at least four national polls or early voting state polls and to receive donations from at least 130,000 unique donors by Aug. 28. De Blasio had only received 6,700 unique donations in the second fundraising quarter.

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