Bill And Hillary Clinton Endorse Bill de Blasio For New York City Mayor

Bill and Hillary Clinton endorsed Bill de Blasio for mayor of New York City on Wednesday, two days after de Blasio officially locked down the Democratic nomination.

“Bill de Blasio has been a friend to both President Clinton and Secretary Clinton for many years,” the former president and secretary of state’s spokesmen said in a joint statement. “They were proud to see him run a thoughtful, creative campaign about the issues, and they are behind him as he moves on to the general election as the Democratic nominee.”

De Blasio has professional ties to each of the Clintons; he managed Hillary Clinton’s 2000 campaign for Senate, and he served as a regional director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development during Bill Clinton’s administration. The Clintons had declined to make any endorsements in the primaries, citing close friendships with several candidates in the race.

Wednesday’s endorsement marked the third consecutive day in which de Blasio acquired high-profile support; on Monday he was endorsed by New York governor Andrew Cuomo and former New York City comptroller Bill Thompson, who finished second to de Blasio in the 2013 Democratic primary earlier this month. On Wednesday, he was endorsed by New York City council speaker and former campaign rival Christine Quinn, who was widely considered to be the frontrunner for most of the race before sinking to a disappointing third-place finish in the primary.

While de Blasio surely appreciates all of the endorsements, he seems unlikely to need them. The first poll of the general election, released Tuesday, found the Democratic nominee leading Republican Joe Lhota by an overwhelming 43 percent.

AFP Photo/Timothy Clary