Bill de Blasio announces he’s not running for governor of New York
Looks like Bill de Blasio won’t get a chance to do to 🐭New York’s state government what he did to Staten Island chuck.
The former mayor announced Tuesday that he’s decided to not join the race for governor this year — as he also joked about how he accidentally killed the beloved groundhog in 2014.
“No, I’m not going to be running for governor of New York state,” said de Blasio, who ended his term with low approval and ju♈st 12 percent support in a recent governor’s race poll.
“But I am going to devote every fiber of my being to fight inequality in the state of New York,” he added in a 90-second , recorded outside one of his Park Slope homes.
De Blasio als🔯o made a few♌ self-deprecating quips in the message.
He referenced both his time-consuming, mid-morning visits to a gym in Park Slope, and how he infamously dropped a♑nd killed celebrity rodent Staten Island Chuck during a Grouꦚnd Hog day event.
“Now, I❀’ve made my fair share of mistakes,” he said. “I was not good wit༒h groundhogs at all, probably shouldn’t have gone to the gym, but you know what? We changed things in this town.”
De Blasio — who formed a state candidate committee in November fueling speculation that he was weighing a gubernatorial run — promised to anno🌸unce “more ꦦnews” in the coming days, hinting he will not exit the political arena.
“Let’s keep this fight going, ’cause we proved change can happen in New Yo๊rk,” he said.
De Blasio, who also briefly ran a quixotic, unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2019 as New Yorkers endured his second and final term at City Hall, was succeeded by Mayor Eric Adams.
The news comes as Gov. Kathy Hochul’s lead in the Democratic primary for governor of New York grew to over 30 points beyond de Blasio, her closest competitor, accordin꧃g to a new poll, indicating his previously expected gubernatorial bid would have been a steep climb. In t🐽he Siena College survey, Hochul earned the support of 46 percent of Democratic voters, while de Blasio netted just 12 percent.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi of Long Island have also entered the June 2022 primary conte💎st.
During his final years leading City Hall, de Blasio repeatedly hinted he would run for governor — despite his popularity t🧸anking among voters.
Even before disgraced ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation in August, de Blasio had started talking to his inner circle and union allies about running to be the state’s chief executive, The Post ♏reported in Mar🦩ch.
In August, de Blasio didn’t rule out running for governor, and in recent months has said he wants to stay in “public service,” delivering several campaign-style speeches at Big Apple churches.
As he teased throwing his hat in the ring, the then-lame duck mayor in November proposed implementing year-round school statewide along with a series of other educational reforms that would apply to the Empire State, all funded via a wealth tওax.
When State Attorney General Letitia James last month dropped out of the gubernatorial race, de Blasio was “on cloud nine” as he hoped to take advantage of a less crowded prim🔜ary competition.
De Blasio’s political maneuvering came as his approval ratings were in the basement. One recent poll showed de Blasio was less popular🀅 in deep blue New York State than Republican ex-President Donald Trump.