Michael Bloomberg Will Not Enter 2020 President Race

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has decided not to run for president in 2020.

Writing for Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg said on March 5 that after months of consideration he realized he could contribute more in the areas he cares about, including gun control and climate change, by dedicating himself to initiatives he has supported since leaving public office in 2014.

“So as I’ve thought about a possible presidential campaign, the choice before me has become clear. Should I devote the next two years to talking about my ideas and record, knowing that I might never win the Democratic nomination? Or should I spend the next two years doubling down on the work that I am already leading and funding, and that I know can produce real and beneficial results for the country, right now?” Bloomberg said in the piece titled, “Our Highest Office, My Deepest Obligation.”

“I’ve come to realize that I’m less interested in talking than doing,” he continued. “And I have concluded that, for now, the best way for me to help our country is by rolling up my sleeves and continuing to get work done.”

In announcing his decision, he said he hoped the Democratic Party would nominate someone in 2020 who has the ability to defeat President Trump.

“We cannot allow the primary process to drag the party to an extreme that would diminish our chances in the general election and translate into ‘Four More Years,’” he said. “It’s essential that we nominate a Democrat who will be in the strongest position to defeat Donald Trump and bring our country back together.”

Bloomberg, who is Jewish, is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and former three-term mayor of New York City. He is the founder, CEO and owner of global financial services company Bloomberg and one of the wealthiest individuals in the world.

This is not the first time speculation surrounded a possible Bloomberg run for the country’s highest office ended with Bloomberg deciding not to run. In 2016, he flirted with the idea of running as a third-party candidate but determined that doing so would impact the Electoral College in an undesirable way.

This time, weighing a run on the Democratic ticket, he acknowledged he would have had a difficult time winning among so many candidates in a party that has become increasingly leftwing.

“I believe I would defeat Donald Trump in a general election,” he said. “But I am clear-eyed about the difficulty of winning the Democratic nomination in such a crowded field.”

While announcing his decision not to run, Bloomberg emphasized ways he would enact change outside of Washington D.C. He announced the launch of Beyond Carbon, which he described as “a grassroots effort to begin moving America as quickly as possible away from oil and gas and toward a 100 percent clean energy economy.”

He said he looked forward to ways he can contribute to improving the nation.

“While there would be no higher honor than serving as president,” he said, “my highest obligation as a citizen is to help the country the best way I can, right now.”