Billionaire media mogul Michael Bloomberg says he is staying in the Democratic presidential race “to the bitter end” as long as he sees a path to the nomination.
That puts Mr. Bloomberg on a potential collision course with a contested Democratic National Convention in July if none of the candidates capture the 1,991 delegates needed to clinch the nomination.
“I am going to stay right to the bitter end, as long as I have a chance,” the former New York City mayor said Thursday on NBC News’ “KasieDC.”
What’s more, he said he loves the campaign trail.
“Why would I spend all of this money, all of this time out of my life, and wear and tear, you know, which I love — incidentally, (it) reminds me of my three campaigns in New York for mayor, which I did like,” he said. “The difference here is I’ve got to fly from event to event where there I used to drive from event to event. But yeah sure, I love it.”
With a $60 billion fortune that makes Mr. Bloomberg the 14th wealthiest person in the world, he can stay in the race as long as he wants. But he isn’t likely to throw away his money, said Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf.
“He is a very serious person,” Mr. Sheinkopf told The Washington Times. “This could go on for a long time and might very well do that.”
Mr. Bloomberg currently has zero delegates after sitting out the first several contests, including the primary Saturday in South Carolina. He’s making his move in next week’s Super Tuesday primaries when 14 states go to the polls with a third of all the delegates are up for grabs.
Mr. Bloomberg is competing with a crowd of more-moderate candidates trying to become the chief alternative to Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont, who currently leads the race with 45 delegates.
Mr. Bloomberg said he would not stay in the race if Mr. Sanders hits the delegate threshold to secure the nomination.
So far, the rest of the field has divvied up the vote and the delegates.
Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg has 25 delegates after beating Mr. Sanders by a whisker in Iowa, placing a close second in New Hampshire and a distant third in Nevada.
Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden has 15 delegates after a disappointing showing in Iowa and New Hampshire and a distant second-place in Nevada.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has eight delegates, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota has seven delegates.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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