New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio may be running against longtime friend Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, sources say.
After speaking with a "national party operative," the
New York Post reported that mayor's strategy is to raise his national profile just enough to precipitate a "Draft de Blasio" movement and run from Clinton's left – a candidate position previously assigned to Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
"With Warren saying she’s not running, de Blasio and his advisers are trying to position the mayor as the 'draft' candidate for the left in 2016. That’s why he refused to endorse Hillary last week," said the operative.
De Blasio withheld his endorsement when he spoke with NBC News on April 12, which confused many in the party. Moreover, it reportedly upset Clinton's campaign operatives, who said it was a nonsensical move coming from her former campaign manager, who helped elect her to the U.S. Senate in 2000.
According to the Post, de Blasio is set to be backed by the Working Families Party, which is funded by national labor unions. WFP originally offered its support to Warren should she run as a more progressive candidate than Clinton, but after refusing de Blasio has now reportedly become the candidate of choice.
Further evidence that he might be running came last week when de Blasio traveled to Iowa with John Del Cecato. Del Cecato helped elect the mayor as part of his campaign's communications teams, and was also a longtime campaign advisor to Barack Obama.
"Why would your ad maker be traveling with you in a non-campaign year? Why was he there with de Blasio in Iowa unless you’re trying for something bigger?" the operative wondered aloud.