With less than three months to go before the Iowa caucus kicks off the 2020 race, the field may be getting some new competition. Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is said to be preparing to enter the race, which would make him the 18th Democratic candidate.
But some of the remaining contenders may think an expanding field of candidates is a move in the wrong direction. Cory Booker’s press secretary, Sabrina Singh, told Cheddar on Friday, “I don’t know that the campaign needs another Democrat in the race.”
But another Democrat it may have, and a very wealthy one. Bloomberg, worth about $52.4 billion, according to a Forbes estimate, could be a major threat to former Vice President Joe Biden.
Singh said, “We really need someone out there that can unite the country, that can build a multiracial coalition.” Some, including Singh, question if Bloomberg is the man for that job.
Bloomberg had toyed with the idea of a 2020 run earlier this year but seemed to bow out due to Biden’s strength. As Biden falters, Bloomberg may see a chance.
Singh said the Booker campaign is mainly focused more on running a successful campaign, whether or not another contender enters the mix.
”What Cory [Booker] brings to the stage is very different than what Bloomberg brings,” said Singh. Booker “is the only candidate in this race that still lives in a low-income community: Newark” she added.
“We’re not going to mold our message to Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren,” she said. “We’re going to keep running a race that we believe, that we are very confident in and see our way through Iowa and beyond.”
Even amid the spread of the Delta variant, Republican governors in states like Florida and Texas have taken actions like banning mask mandates for school districts that will soon bring students back for the year. This argument happens amid a stark increase in pediatric COVID cases.
Bianca Quilantan, education reporter at POLITICO, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss.
In stories sure to move markets next week, Robinhood and several retail giants report earnings, Jerome Powell takes the podium, New York City's mask mandate goes into effect, and Tesla hosts its 'AI Day.'
Former President Trump remains the standard-bearer of the Republican Party in his first six months removed from office. But despite his position atop the party, others are moving to shore up their own bona fides. Chief among them is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who has signed a bevy of bills popular among conservatives this year. He's viewed as a potential successor to trump, and that's creating tension with the still-present Trump.
Matt Dixon, POLITICO Florida bureau chief, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss.
None Of The Above's J.D. Durkin pens his open letter to Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) after the governor says he regrets signing a controversial COVID-19 law.
