Michael Bloomberg: Who He Is and What He Stands For
2020 Candidates
Michael Bloomberg
A former mayor arguing that it takes one superrich New Yorker to defeat another.
Michael Bloomberg dropped out of the presidential race on March 4, 2020. This page is no longer being updated.
Who is Michael Bloomberg?
78 years old
Raised in Medford, Mass.; lives in New York City
Former three-term mayor of New York City (2002-2013)
Billionaire businessman and philanthropist; founded Bloomberg L.P., a financial news and data company
Bloomberg’s signature issues
Mr. Bloomberg has staked his campaign on both his accomplishments as mayor — economic growth in the city, falling crime, a focus on public health — and his advocacy work during and after his time in office. He has been an especially prolific giver to gun-control and environmental causes. But several elements of Mr. Bloomberg’s record in government, like his longstanding (and recently disavowed) defense of aggressive stop-and-frisk policing, are likely to complicate his message to a Democratic electorate.
Three questions about Michael Bloomberg
1. Has Michael Bloomberg always been a Democrat?
No. But he was a Democrat before he was a Republican, which was before he was an independent — and way before his recent re-embrace of the party. Despite his socially liberal views, Mr. Bloomberg changed parties to run in the Republican mayoral primary in 2001. He registered as an independent midway through his time at City Hall. In 2016, he spoke in support of Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention. In 2018, he officially returned to the party.
2. Did he really ban Big Gulps?
He did not. But he tried. Sort of. As mayor, Mr. Bloomberg hoped to impose limits on the sale of large sugary drinks, but the initiative failed in the courts. Even if it hadn’t, Mr. Bloomberg’s plan included exemptions for convenience stores like 7-Eleven, with its outsize Big Gulp. This has not stopped critics from invoking the Big Gulp as a symbol of what they view as Bloombergian policy overreach.
3. Does he have a chance?
Mr. Bloomberg’s path is unconventional in the extreme: skipping the early-voting states and debates to focus on delegate-rich contests in March and beyond. He has the resources to pull it off — millions upon millions of dollars of his own money to flood the airwaves with his ads. But if another candidate claims momentum in February, Mr. Bloomberg could have a difficult time breaking through.
“Defeating Donald Trump — and rebuilding America — is the most urgent and important fight of our lives. And I’m going all in. I offer myself as a doer and a problem solver — not a talker. And someone who is ready to take on the tough fights — and win.”
Michael Bloomberg
Video profile of Michael Bloomberg
Learn more about Bloomberg
We took a look at how Mr. Bloomberg’s enormous wealth helped build a national political network for his run.
Here is an overview of where he stands on the issues.
His decision to run has proved quite complicated for the media empire he owns.