Bill de Blasio changes his mind about running for Congress after seeing voter poll results

On July 19, Bill de Blasio withdrew his bid to represent the left-wing 10th congressional district. He admitted that nothing would come of it, reports New York Post.

“I really listened carefully to people. And it's clear to me that when it comes to this constituency, people are looking for another option. And I respect that,” the former mayor said in a video message posted on Twitter.

He also acknowledged that it was time for him to leave campaign politics and focus on other ways of serving the people.

“Even if nothing comes of it, I hope you know how much I appreciate you. And we will do a lot together to make this city a better place,” he added.

De Blasio left the race the day after the results of the Working Families Party poll were announced. The poll showed that more than half of Democratic voters in the county would not support him.

In total, 15 candidates participated in the race. 49% of respondents said they would not vote for de Blasio.

If elected, the 61-year-old ex-politician would represent part of the city council's old district, which includes his own neighborhood, Park Slope. De Blasio's campaign has raised more than half a million dollars in cash, according to reports released last week.

The NY-10 exit is not the first time de Blasio has retired from a race.

He withdrew from his 2020 presidential campaign after failing to garner even 1% support in nationwide polls.

At the time, de Blasio had a lower New Yorker approval rating than former President Donald Trump. 25% compared to 32%, according to a survey by the Siena College Research Institute.

Last fall, he also considered running for Cuomo's successor. But in the end he gave up on this idea.

On the subject: Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Plans to Run for Congress

Instead of de Blasio, NY-10 voters will choose from candidates. This includes left-wing Assemblyman U-Line Niu, Lower East Side City Council member Carlina Rivera, Westchester Representative Mondar Jones, former House impeachment attorney Daniel Goldman, and Assemblyman Joan Simon.

Primary elections are scheduled for August 23.

But de Blasio's dismal ratings shouldn't come as a surprise. He admitted that he had become an expert at being unpopular. And even gave President Biden unsolicited advice on how to counter the rejection earlier this year. Then, when the rating of the commander in chief fell.

“In 2017, I won my second term with two-thirds of the vote in the general election. But by last year, my popularity had waned. Why?" de Blasio wrote in an article published in The Atlantic in early May.

“I have failed to give New Yorkers a clear idea of ​​where I am taking them. I lost touch with people because I mistook real politics for real popularity,” he continued.

A poll last June showed that 72% of the 1000 Democratic voters polled rated Mayor Bill de Blasio's performance as "poor."

His poor performance even astounded his successor, Mayor Eric Adams.

Adams has said in the past that he is shocked at the sorry state of the city left to him to clean up.

Former De Blasio City Health Commissioner David Chokshi admitted that his former boss hindered the progress of the state and city in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic due to an ongoing feud with ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Meanwhile, de Blasio and his wife, Chirlaine McCray, have piled up at least $2,5 million in debt. The couple took out a loan on their Park Slope home to pay for a major renovation of the row house as de Blasio prepared to leave office at the end of 2021.

This also includes $435 in personal legal fees for the Kramer Levin law firm involved in the federal fundraising investigation. The council passed legislation that would allow de Blasio to raise funds to pay the bill, but he has yet to do so.

Despite his debts, he lived in an expensive New York Marriott hotel in Brooklyn after he left office. But then he returned to Park Slope.