New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the presidency on Friday, ending his five-month silence on the candidate who he helped elect to the U.S. Senate.
The first-term mayor announced his endorsement during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“In this country, a lot has changed,” de Blasio said. “The candidate who I believe can fundamentally address income inequality effectively, candidate who has the right vision and the right experience and ability to get the job done, is Hillary Clinton. And I’ve seen her vision and her platform develop over five months. I’m extremely pleased with what she’s put on the table, but she has a history of fighting on issues that convinces me.”
His endorsement came five months into Clinton’s campaign, a surprisingly long time considering he managed her successful U.S. Senate campaign in New York. It also ended speculation about whether he would turn on his former boss in favor of a more progressive candidate.
The Clinton campaign didn’t let de Blasio keep the spotlight for long on Friday. The campaign sent an email at about 9 a.m. ET announcing the endorsement of an additional 87 mayors from all regions of the country, including mayors from Puerto Rico and Hawaii. The campaign said she now has the support of more than 135 mayors.
During his appearance on “Morning Joe,” de Blasio said Clinton’s history of fighting for families and progressive values, starting at the Children’s Defense Fund, convinced him that she will be an effective President. When asked by host Mika Brzezinski, why his endorsement took so long, de Blasio said “it’s fair” for candidates to take time to roll out full platforms.
“There’s a lot of spine, there’s a lot of steal there. We certainly saw that during all the hours of the Benghazi hearing,” de Blasio said. “She has said what she believes in. This is a very sharp, progressive platform. I believe she will follow through on it.”
De Blasio also deflected the question from host Joe Scarborough about whether Clinton’s Democratic primary rive, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), had the “competence” to govern.
Watch the endorsement, from MSNBC, below:
