It’s been 4 days since former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that he’s running for Congress. The controversial politician recently penned an op-ed for The Atlantic entitled “Joe Biden Can Learn From My Mistakes.” In it, de Blasio acknowledged how he didn’t effectively use his platform and urged our current president to heed his warning.
That self-awareness also appeared in de Blasio’s latest interview with the Daily News. He sat down with reporter Michael Gartland in a cafe in Park Slope to discuss how his time in office will be different than last. De Blasio also made sure to avoid looking like a politician, opting to wear a pair of sneakers instead of a tie to the talk.
“There’s a lack of a national Democratic message,” de Blasio said. “You remember in 2012, the beginning of my mayoral campaign, I said, ‘We’re gonna tax the wealthy, provide Pre-K for every child in New York City.’ That was one sentence — communicated everything — that we are not accepting the status quo, that we’re gonna go after those who are wealthy and powerful and make them pay their fair share and give people something they need for free. People understood me pretty quickly. I think the national Democratic Party has to get to that place.”
De Blasio also stated that he plans on duplicating the racial justice commission he created during his tenure as mayor but this time on a national level. He also believes that inflation can be effectively dealt with by decreasing health care costs. De Blasio also explained that he would challenge the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to do more when it comes to the number of guns infiltrating New York and other cities.
He is also planning to run with an experienced team of political consultants by his side. De Blasio’s trusted adviser Peter Ragone will be responsible for messaging and strategy. Tim Tagaris, who has previously worked with Bernie Sanders, will oversee his digital and social media messaging. De Blasio is also partnering with Millennial Strategies and Dunton Consulting. He is far from a popular figure, so the response to this campaign will be an interesting one.