After months of waiting, Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday officially endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. NY1's Grace Rauh filed the following report.
It was not the defining moment in Hillary Clinton's campaign that Mayor Bill de Blasio likely hoped it would be. Instead of appearing on stage with her for a big endorsement announcement, he made it official on MSNBC Friday. Clinton was nowhere to be seen.
"The candidate who I believe can fundamentally address income inequality effectively, the candidate who has the right vision and the right experience to get the job done, is Hillary Clinton," de Blasio said.
The former secretary of state acknowledged the mayor's backing in a press release. It announced that 87 mayors from around the country were on board with her campaign.
De Blasio was the fourth mayor mentioned in the announcement. The mayors of Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia all got higher billing.
The mayor stunned many in the political world earlier this year when he refused to back Clinton when she kicked off her campaign in April. De Blasio had been her campaign manager when she ran for the Senate and he worked in Bill Clinton's administration as well.
The mayor said for months that he needed to hear more about Clinton's plans to tackle the gap between wealthy and poor Americans.
"We have to take on income inequality. It is the issue of our time. We have to restore the middle class. And Hillary Clinton knows how to do it, knows how to get it done and has a progressive platform that speaks to all the changes we need," de Blasio said.
New Yorkers have not been fans of the mayor's efforts to insert himself into the national debate. According to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday, 50 percent of city voters say his involvement in national issues is a distraction.
Even more are opposed to the mayor's plan to hold a presidential forum in Iowa in December. 56 percent say it is a bad idea.
A World Series win by the Mets would help boost spirits. Perhaps with that in mind, the mayor and first lady dressed as members of the team for Halloween.