Bloomberg Makes Mayoral Race Predictions In Post

In an interview with the New York Post published this weekend, Mayor Bloomberg weighed in on who he thinks might follow in his footsteps as the next mayor. "It's really hard to see the Democratic primary next year not being the real election," he told the Post. With that criteria, the Post posits that the next mayor will be one of the following contenders: Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and former Comptroller Bill Thompson.

Who is the current mayor ruling out of the race? Comptroller John Liu, who is under federal investigation for some fishy business in his campaign finances.

(Notably, Runnin' Scared got in touch with three of those potential candidates after the State of the City, and heard what they had to say about the current mayor.)

According to the Post the mayor also doesn't think Police Commissioner Kelly, whose name has been brought up in connection with a possible run, has the monetary chops to make it, even though he thinks he would be a swell mayor:

"I think Ray would be a great mayor," said Bloomberg.

"The problem he has is the amount of money you've got to spend to get over not being the Democratic candidate. It's really hard to see how you would raise it. There are limitations as to how much you could take. And even if his wife was rich, and she isn't, you can't spend it. It has to be his own money.

"Ray Kelly, last time I checked, was not a billionaire willing to spend $100 million of his own money. It would be very hard for him. If he did, I think he'd be a phenomenal mayor."

The Post article doesn't say whether Bloomberg is really really secretly hoping that Alec Baldwin hadn't "lost [his] appetite" for the whole thing. But while we're talking celebrities, if you were wondering, Scarlett Johansson likes Stringer.

(h/t)

[EstherZuckerman / ezwrites]

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