Andrew Yang said Thursday that “multiple” presidential campaigns have courted his support as he weighs endorsing a candidate after recently ending his race for the White House.
Mr. Yang, a businessman who dropped his bid to become the Democratic presidential nominee this month, made the remark shortly after a news report said the campaign of former 2020 rival Michael Bloomberg was considering him as a potential running mate.
“What I can say is that multiple campaigns have reached out, and it’s flattering to be considered for a [vice president] role or any role in someone’s campaign,” Mr. Yang said on CNN.
“I made clear to every other candidate that I ran on a set of issues — automation of jobs, an evolving economy that we need to humanize and a dividend of $1,000 a month for every American — and I said that if a candidate were to make a significant commitment in those directions, then I’d be much more enthusiastic about considering an endorsement.”
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier Thursday that Mr. Bloomberg’s presidential campaign has sought the support of Mr. Yang and was “floating” the possibility of making him the candidate’s running mate.
“I will support whoever the nominee is,” Mr. Yang told CNN anchor Anderson Cooper.
“I am very enthusiastic about having the democratic process play out and to decide who the nominee is,” Mr. Yang added. “But also, if someone decides to support the ideas that were central to my campaign, that would go a long way towards making me consider an endorsement.”
Mr. Yang ended his long-shot Democratic presidential campaign on Feb. 11 after performing relatively poorly in the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. He has since become a political commentator for CNN.
Prior to ending his campaign, Mr. Yang hinted that he was considering running on the same Democratic ticket as White House hopeful and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden.
“I’m definitely open to working with Joe. We’ve actually talked about it,” Mr. Yang said in October.
Mr. Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City, entered the White House race the following month and subsequently gained steadily in the polls among fellow Democratic candidates.
The results of several nationwide polls conducted this month have placed Sen. Bernard Sanders, Vermont independent, as the current front-runner for the Democratic nomination.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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