WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio said on Friday he would make a run for Congress in the newly created 10th district of New York, which includes parts of Manhattan and his home base of Brooklyn.
"Wherever I go, people ask: can things get better? I say from my heart: YES, but WE have to make them better. In our neighborhoods and our nation, the way to save our democracy is to be part of it," de Blasio said in a Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) post.
De Blasio will join several other Democrats running in the Aug. 23 primary including state Senators Brad Hoylman and Simcha Felder and assembly members Yuh-Line Niou, Robert Carroll and Jo Anne Simon, according to local media.
De Blasio, who served two terms as mayor before leaving office in December, said he was proud of having shepherded the city through the coronavirus pandemic.
De Blasio's popularity declined in his last year in office, with a NY1/Ppsos poll in June 2021 showing just 37% of city residents approved of the job he was doing.
A state court is expected to finalize a new congressional redistricting map for New York on Friday. The new map could make it difficult for Democrats to keep the 19 seats they currently control, according to political analysts.
It could also create some awkward Democratic matchups. Longtime Democratic Representatives Jerrold Nadler and Carolyn Maloney saw their districts combined into a single seat in Manhattan, potentially forcing them into a primary battle.