Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang is weighing a run for mayor of New York City — and getting a boost from Michael Bloomberg’s advisers, according to reports.
“You know, we’re looking at it,” Yang told a Buzzfeed reporter who asked him about his potential candidacy during a chance encounter on Amtrak’s Acela Express Tuesday morning.
A spokeswoman for Yang did not return messages.
Yang was headed to Washington, D.C. where he’ll provide commentary on Super Tuesday results for his latest role as a CNN political analyst.
The 45-year-old Schenectady native, who ended his 2020 run last month, will make an announcement about his future plans on “The View” Thursday, he tweeted.
Bloomberg’s advisers contacted Yang about a potential mayoral campaign after he withdrew from the race, according to The New York Times. Bloomberg also reportedly asked the fellow entrepreneur to be his running mate.
Yang has already said that his main 2020 platform, giving Americans a universal basic income, would be an “obvious” program to implement in the Big Apple.
But city political observers were cool to the idea of a Yang mayoralty.
Political strategist Bradley Tusk, who also served as Bloomberg’s former mayoral campaign manager, said that Yang shouldn’t view the job as a stepping stone to higher office.
“He should do it if city operations is his passion. Otherwise, as Mayor de Blasio has seen, it’s a very rough job,” Tusk said.
Fordham University Political Science Professor Christina Greer was more blunt.
“I am thoroughly not interested in a Yang candidacy,” she said.
“All politics is local, and Yang has not demonstrated an understanding or investment in local issues concerning the five boroughs. We have far too many pressing nuanced issues in our city for a hedge fund manager to swoop in and diagnose our problems,” she said.
“I would suggest using money to invest in the people of our city, not vanity projects running for office. There are already several qualified New Yorkers vying for the job. Carpet baggers need not apply,” she added.
The qualified New Yorkers she referred to include City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and City Comptroller Scott Stringer.
