Andrew Yang confirmed in an interview out Thursday that people close to former rival Michael R. Bloomberg have contacted him about running to become the mayor of New York City.
“Bloomberg’s people have offered guidance and assistance,” Mr. Yang said on “The New Abnormal” podcast.
“If we were to consider the mayoral race, then they’d want to help us consider it,” Mr. Yang added. “They did reach out to us on that level.”
Mr. Yang, a tech entrepreneur, and Mr. Bloomberg, the billionaire former New York City mayor, each competed for the Democratic presidential nomination before ending their campaigns in February and March, respectively. They have each since endorsed the party’s presumptive nominee, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden.
The New York Times previously reported that Mr. Bloomberg’s advisers reached out to Mr. Yang after he ended his campaign about potentially running next year to succeed current New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat who also briefly sought the party’s nomination to compete against President Trump in November.
Mr. Yang subsequently confirmed he was considering running for New York City mayor, but he said during the podcast that his main concern remains the 2020 presidential election.
“Right now my focus is on helping Joe win and helping to win the country forward. But it’s certainly very flattering to be thought of for such an important role,” he said. “I do love New York, and I do love executive positions that allow you to roll your sleeves up and get things done.”
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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