by Ben Whedon
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday that he was ending his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.
De Blasio made his announcement on “Morning Joe” with host Joe Scarborough, according to NBC News.
“I feel like I have contributed all I can to this primary election. It’s clearly not my time, so I’m going to end my presidential campaign,” the New York mayor said.
De Blasio struggled to gain traction in the presidential race, not clearing 1% average approval. The Real Clear Politics poll of polls gave him 0.2% support as of Friday.
A recent Siena College poll showed him to be less popular than President Donald Trump in the state of New York, according to the New York Post. While Trump garnered a 35% favorable rating, de Blasio sunk lower with a 26% approval.
Despite leaving the presidential race, de Blasio expressed his continued commitment to “working people,” via tweet after the show. “It’s true: I’m ending my candidacy for president. But our fight on behalf of working people is far from over.”
De Blasio was first elected in 2013, winning reelection in 2017, according to the Washington Post. His term will expire at the end of 2021.
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Ben Whedon is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Bill de Blasio” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
