WASHINGTON — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is battling Hillary Rodham Clinton from the left, is cozying up to Mayor de Blasio, and even holding out hope of winning his endorsement.

“I have a lot of respect for Mayor de Blasio,” Sanders told reporters at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast Thursday, when asked whether he was seeking the mayor’s support.

He praised de Blasio for being “one of the leaders” in the country talking about income inequality.

“I’d love to have the endorsement of as many public figures as we can,” Sanders said.

A source said Sanders later spoke on the phone with the mayor, who thus far has refused to endorse Clinton.