OF COURSE

De Blasio Sounding Out Governor Run After Cuomo’s Downfall, Says Report

The NYC mayor has reportedly been spending the past few weeks calling up allies and labor leaders.

It’s only been three weeks since Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned in disgrace after a string of sexual-harassment allegations—but it appears his longtime nemesis, Bill de Blasio, hasn’t been wasting that time. According to Politico, the New York City mayor has been spending the past few weeks calling allies and labor leaders to gather their thoughts on him launching a bid for governor. “He’s letting the leaders know that he’s considering running for governor,” one unnamed union affiliate told the site. Asked about what de Blasio had said in his calls, the affiliate said the mayor is “asking friends to hold off on making a decision” about who to endorse in the Democratic primary, and that he wants to “head off any momentum for Tish and Kathy,” referring to New York Attorney General Tish James and Cuomo’s recently installed successor, Gov. Kathy Hochul. The New York Times reported Wednesday that de Blasio’s pollster, Anna Greenberg, has been weighing up his popularity outside of the city.