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- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has recently traveled to Iowa and South Carolina as he openly considers a 2020 presidential bid.
- However, a recent Monmouth University poll revealed that he’s the only potential Democratic contender to receive a negative favorability rating from voters within his own party.
- Dozens of former aides and allies of the mayor also told Politico they think the run is a bad idea considering how the crowded 2020 field.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recently traveled to Iowa and South Carolina with his wife Chirlane McCray as he openly considers a 2020 presidential bid — but new signs point to trouble for the progressive mayor.
A Monmouth University poll of 12 declared and potential Democrat presidential candidates released Monday found that de Blasio was the only potential contender to receive a negative favorability rating, with 18% of respondents holding a favorable view of the mayor compared to 24% with an unfavorable opinion of him.
"De Blasio’s is the only name among 23 candidates or potential candidates who have been tested in Monmouth’s polling this year to earn a net negative rating among Democrats," the Monmouth pollsters said in a release.
In addition to the grim polling numbers, dozens of former City Hall aides and de Blasio allies told Politico they believe a run doesn’t make much sense considering there are already 14 candidates in the race all running on many of the progressive ideals de Blasio espouses.
In an interview with Politico, de Blasio said he should be considered a contender due to his record of implementing progressive policies in New York City, like mandated paid sick time for workers and universal pre-Kindergarten.
“If you say, ‘OK, have I proven the ability to run an extraordinarily complex organization and get real results? Yes.’ And that should mean something," the mayor said.
Read more: Here’s everyone who has officially announced they are running for president in 2020
His tenure as mayor has garnered hefty criticism, however, for his feud with Governor Andrew Cuomo over who is responsible for fixing New York’s increasingly troubled public transit system, among other things.
One former aide, speaking anonymously to Politico, said the idea of de Blasio running was "f—ing insane," while another friend called it "idiotic."
The mayor has additionally faced opposition to his administration supporting Amazon’s controversial proposal to build a second headquarters in Queens. The ecommerce giant eventually canceled the development in February after fierce opposition from other New York political figures.
De Blasio has also clashed with others in the national political orbit, famously drawing ire from Hillary Clinton and her allies after delaying an endorsement during the Democratic presidential primaries in 2015.
“I really appreciate everyone’s views, but I don’t know they can see things the way Chirlane and I see them, in terms of what we need to do with our lives, what we feel is the right thing to do," he said to Politico in response to some of the criticism.
See Also:
- Joe Biden’s long history in public life could come back to haunt him if he decides to run for president
- Bernie Sanders says fellow 2020 Democratic candidates are now running on his 2016 ideas that were originally dismissed as ‘too radical’
- Elizabeth Warren says she wants to break up big tech companies, including Amazon, Google, and Facebook
Source: Business Insider – gpanetta@businessinsider.com (Grace Panetta)