Former Obama Aide Enters the New York City Mayor’s Race
The New York Times
Michael Blake, a former state assemblyman and a veteran of the Obama administration, joins a crowded field of candidates running against Mayor Eric Adams.
Michael Blake, a former New York State assemblyman from the Bronx and a veteran of the Obama administration, is entering the crowded race to unseat Mayor Eric Adams.
He is the seventh prominent candidate to challenge Mr. Adams, a Democrat who was indicted in September on federal corruption charges. Mr. Blake created an exploratory committee on Friday and put up a campaign website on Sunday.
In his first interview as a mayoral candidate, Mr. Blake said that his campaign would focus on addressing the high cost of living in New York City and quality of life issues.
“New Yorkers clearly do not feel that their lives are getting better under his administration,” he said. “Whether it be loss of funds in their pocket or loss of hope and trust, it is hard to see how the city moves forward given the current mayor.”
Mr. Blake, 41, a former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, served in the State Assembly for six years and in the Obama White House for two years.
Many of the candidates who are running in the Democratic primary in June are to the left of Mr. Adams, most more so than Mr. Blake. He said that he had implemented both progressive and moderate policies and viewed himself as a “responsible leader who is finding solutions in the middle.” As mayor, he said that he would support policies such as universal child care and paying nonprofits faster.
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