Michael Bloomberg is officially running for president

(Image credit: Yana Paskova/Getty Images)

last updated 24 November 2019

He's running. For real this time.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg formally announced his long-anticipated Democratic presidential bid Saturday. Bloomberg, one of the world's richest people, said he believes his "unique set of experiences in business, government, and philanthropy will enable me to win and lead."

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Bloomberg, who only officially became a Democrat last year, had dismissed the possibility of running in the early days of the primary, but was reportedly convinced to jump in because of what he perceived as former Vice President Joe Biden's inability to lock down the moderate vote. The early sense is that the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party will be a tough hurdle for Bloomberg — even before Sunday's announcement, candidates like Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) took aim at the billionaire.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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