Michael Bloomberg joins the race for the White House
Billionaire former New York mayor faces uphill struggle to connect with voters

The billionaire former mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, has officially announced that he is standing to be the Democratic Party presidential nominee.
“I’m running for president to defeat Donald Trump and rebuild America,” Bloomberg announced on his campaign website.
“We cannot afford four more years of President Trump’s reckless and unethical actions.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It is believed that he will take a moderate, centrist position. Launching his bid, he described himself as “a doer and a problem solver - not a talker”.
CNN says Bloomberg’s late bid “injects a new level of uncertainty into the race less than three months before the first voting in the race begins”. Meanwhile, USA Today notes that Bloomberg was a Republican in 2001 ahead of his first mayoral bid.
America’s eighth wealthiest man, Bloomberg has a net worth of $53.4bn. He made his fortune creating the technology that bankers and traders use to access market data, before turning to politics and serving three terms as mayor of New York City.
He is expected to spend up to $34m per a week on adverts in more than two dozen states. The Times says this will be the highest one-week expenditure in US political history, surpassing the $30m that Barack Obama spent while seeking re-election in 2012.
Bloomberg’s bid has already been dismissed by rivals, with Elizabeth Warren saying that “elections should not be for sale”. He also faces an uphill task to connect with Democrat voters, with a Quinnipiac poll in New Hampshire showing that only two per cent of primary voters back him to become the party’s presidental candidate.
Bloomberg has missed the first five TV debates and will likely not make it on stage for the sixth next month due to polling and donation requirements.
No Democrat has won the nomination after such a late start in modern times, though Ronald Reagan, a Republican, became president in 1981 after joining the race in mid-November.
Bloomberg’s first television campaign ads tell viewers: “He could have just been the middle class kid...but Mike Bloomberg became the guy who did good.”
The ad then turns attention to Trump, saying the mayor is “taking on him”, as an image of Trump freezes on screen.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
See the bright lights from these 7 big-city hotels
The Week Recommends Immerse yourself in culture, history and nightlife
-
Scientists want to regrow human limbs. Salamanders could lead the way.
Under the radar Humans may already have the genetic mechanism necessary
-
Sudoku medium: June 25, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
The ambiguous legal state of ectopic pregnancy care
The Explainer Rep. Kat Cammack's accusations of 'fearmongering' are the latest example of how mixed messages are complicating the debate around abortion
-
ICE: Targeting essential workers
Feature After a brief pause, the Trump administration resumes its mass deportation plan
-
'No Kings': A turning point for the resistance?
Feature Millions of Americans nationwide took to the streets to protest against the Trump administration
-
Trump: Making the military into a 'partisan militia'?
Feature Donald Trump held a military parade just days after sending troops to stop protests in Los Angeles
-
US assessing bomb damage to Iran nuclear sites
Speed Read Trump claims this weekend's US bombing obliterated Tehran's nuclear program, while JD Vance insists the US is 'not at war with Iran'
-
Is the US sliding into autocracy?
Talking Point Donald Trump's use of federal troops on home ground, dismissal of dissent and 'braggadocious' military posturing are all symptoms of a shifting political culture
-
Court allows National Guard in LA as Dodgers repel feds
Speed Read The team said they 'denied entry' to ICE agents seeking to enter their stadium
-
'Is it even possible to enjoy a trip without contributing to the problem?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day