Michael Bloomberg filed a statement of candidacy for president with the Federal Election Commission, taking another step to becoming a late entry to an already crowded field of Democratic candidates hoping to unseat President Trump.
The billionaire former New York mayor, however, has not personally made an announcement that he is running for president, and his team reportedly sees the FEC paperwork, filed Wednesday, as a necessary logistical step as he makes a final decision about running.
Bloomberg, 77, had filed to be on Democratic primary ballot in several states with early filing deadlines before publicly making a decision about his candidacy. He is expected to skip campaigning in the first four early nominating contests â Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina â and instead focusing on scooping the March 3 Super Tuesday states.
Several candidates jumped to criticize the former New York City mayor and billionaire businessman when news broke that he was preparing after former Vice President Joe Biden faltered in primary polls and fundraising. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren‘s campaign called his run an “attempt to buy the presidency.”
