De Blasio to announce his presidential candidacy next week

Mayor of New York Bill of BlasioBill of BlasioNew York officially names the true intersection "Sesame Street". The Hill & # 39; s 12:30 Report: The fight between Dems and Barr intensifies New York City becomes the first major city to call for free since its prison PLUS (D) is expected to launch his presidential campaign next week, three people said of his plans at the New York Daily News.

A source told the Daily News that the announcement could be announced as early as Wednesday, on the occasion of De Blasio's 58th birthday. Another source said the deployment was originally scheduled for this week but was delayed.

A person familiar with the plans also confirmed this announcement at the New York Post.

The New York Democrat has already made trips to the first crucial states like Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. Blasio would be the 23rd candidate to embark on the Democratic primary race when he decided to run.

De Blasio announced Thursday that he would make a final decision on the opportunity to run "in May," according to the Associated Press.

De Blasio's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.

The mayor expressed his fear on Friday to be able to fight for a seat at the stage of the main debate if he decided to run.

"The debates are important, there are many other factors in the way a campaign of this importance appears," he said in the WNYC show "The Brian Lehrer Show".

To qualify for the 12 planned Democratic primary debates, candidates must receive support of at least 1% in at least three separate votes recognized by the National Democratic Committee (DNC) or receive contributions to the campaign. at least 65,000 unique donors.

The DNC stated that it would give priority to candidates who reach both thresholds if more than 20 candidates qualified for the debates.

A possible presidential candidacy may face opposition from de Blasio's hometown, as a Quinnipiac University poll released last month found that 76 percent of New York City residents felt that he should not run for the presidency.

De Blasio became a progressive mayor during his tenure as mayor, battling income inequality, touting the benefits of the Green New Deal and rivaling center governor New York, Andrew Cuomo (D).