(NEW YORK) — Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday he’s leaving electoral politics as he dropped out of a race for Congress.
“I’ve listened really carefully to people and it’s clear to me that when it comes to this congressional district, people are looking for another option and I respect that,” de Blasio said in a video message posted to Twitter.
“And I just want to say I love the people of this city. I really want to keep serving and I’m going to find a different way to serve,” he added.
De Blasio declared his candidacy in New York’s 10th Congressional District in late May after the state’s political scene was upended by a newly drawn map. The district spans from lower Manhattan to Brooklyn, including de Blasio’s neighborhood of Park Slope.
More than a dozen Democrats are running for the seat, including Rep. Mondaire Jones, Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, Assemblywoman Yuh-line Niou and former Trump impeachment prosecutor Dan Goldman.
The primary is set to take place on August 23.
De Blasio’s announcement that he’s no longer seeking the party’s nomination comes after a poll from the Working Families Party found him near the bottom of the field with just 3% support from likely primary voters.
On Tuesday, de Blasio took a moment to thank his supporters and reflected on his time talking to New Yorkers on the campaign trail.
“I’m feeling a lot of gratitude. I’m also recognizing I made mistakes,” de Blasio said. “I want to do better in the future. I want to learn from those mistakes. And it’s been a humbling experience at times, but it’s been a healthy experience and the bottom line is I’m filled with gratitude today, truly for all the good in New York City.”
De Blasio’s decision to step away from electoral politics comes after two terms as mayor and a failed presidential bid in 2020.
De Blasio said he’s going to continue to work to “make the city better in the future” but didn’t announce any details on his next move.
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