Michael Bloomberg buys $19 million in ads before even announcing presidential run

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 22 November 2019

Michael Bloomberg is presumably running for president.

The billionaire and former New York City mayor announced earlier this year that he wasn't running for president, and he hasn't said anything to indicate he's changed his mind. And yet his filing with the Federal Election Commission as a 2020 candidate and, now, a $19 million ad buy across the U.S., suggests a reversal is imminent.

Bloomberg has been scooping TV ads across the U.S., spending at least $19 million in more than 25 markets as of Friday afternoon, CNBC reports. They include massive buys in California, Massachusetts, Colorado, and other states that come after the first four contests on the 2020 primary schedule. The biggest hits come in Los Angeles and Chicago, where he's spent more than $700,000, and there's also a large buy in the Florida market that includes President Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Explore More

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox