Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Friday he will run for Congress, CNN reports.
De Blasio announced that he will run in a newly-drawn district that includes his neighborhood in Brooklyn as well as parts of Manhattan.
De Blasio, who left office in January, previously considered running for governor but ultimately decided against it.
De Blasio’s announcement came after a New York court rejected a new congressional map drawn by Democratic lawmakers as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander and ordered a special master to draw new districts.
"Wherever I go, people ask: can things get better? I say from my heart: YES, but WE have to make them better," de Blasio tweeted Friday morning. "In our neighborhoods and our nation, the way to save our democracy is to be part of it. So as I declare my candidacy in #NY10 I ask you to join us."
De Blasio vows to “help”:
“People are hurting, they need help, they need help fast and they need leaders who can actually get them help now,” de Blasio said during an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. "I do know how to do it from years of serving the people of this city and so today I am declaring my candidacy for the 10th Congressional District of New York."
“I don't know yet who all the competitors will be,” he added. “People have not yet made their final decisions. I've made my decision. And I'll tell you I feel a fire.”
Crowded field:
De Blasio, whose popularity sagged by the end of his term, will face a crowded field.
The other candidates vying for the new district include State Sen. Brad Holyman, who represents a Manhattan district, and State Sen. Simcha Felder, who represents a Brooklyn district.
Assembly members Robert Carroll and Jo Anne Simon of Manhattan and Yuh-Line Niou of Manhattan are also eyeing the seat.
