Who is Michael Bloomberg?
Current job: CEO of Bloomberg LP and founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies. Running for president of the United States as a Democratic candidate.
Age: 77
Family: Bloomberg has been in a relationship with Diana Taylor, the former New York State Superintendent of Banks and Wall Street executive, since 2000. He has two daughters, Emma and Georgina Bloomberg.
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Political party: Democratic
Previous jobs: Former Wall Street executive. Founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies. Former three-term mayor of New York City from 2002-2013.
Who is Bloomberg's direct competition for the nomination?
Based on a recurring series of national surveys we conduct, we can identify the other candidates competing in Michael Bloomberg's lane, and who his broader opponents are within the party.
Bloomberg is a more recent addition to our surveys and at this time has an insufficient sample size for which to draw conclusions.
INSIDER has been conducting a recurring poll through SurveyMonkey Audience on a national sample to find out how different candidate's constituencies overlap. We ask people whether they are familiar with a candidate, whether they would be satisfied or unsatisfied with that candidate as nominee, and sometimes we also ask whether they think that person would win or lose in a general election against President Donald Trump .
Read more about how we're polling this here.
What are Michael Bloomberg's policy positions?
- On healthcare:
- Doesn't support Medicare for All, or single-payer healthcare. Has said the US could "never afford that."
- He's suggested he supports a public option, or what he called "Medicare for all for people that are uncovered."
- He championed several major public health measures as New York mayor, including successful smoking bans, calorie counts on restaurant menus, and failed efforts to implement a portion cap on sugary drinks, also known as the "soda ban." In a series of laws, Bloomberg banned smoking in bars, restaurants, the majority of workplaces, and city parks and beaches.
- On guns:
- Gun control is one of Bloomberg's biggest issues. He founded and funds Everytown for Gun Safety, which pushes for more regulations on guns.
- He supports universal background checks, efforts to limit gun trafficking, and a ban on assault weapons.
- He doesn't support mandatory assault weapons buybacks.
- On immigration:
- Teamed up with conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch to fund pro-immigration advocacy group Partnership for a New American Economy. The group has pushed lawmakers to protect "dreamers," undocumented immigrants who arrived in the US as children.
- On climate change and the environment:
- Pledged $500 million to his Beyond Carbon initiative, a smaller-scale alternative to the Green New Deal, which is working towards eradicating coal-fired power plants in the US by 2030, ending the expansion of natural gas, and moving the country to renewable energy sources.
- Founded Beyond Coal with the Sierra Club in 2011. The project has helped shut down many of the US's coal plants.
- Called Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal resolution a "pie in the sky" proposal that "stands no chance of passage in the Senate over the next two years" in March 2019.
- On campaign finance:
- Unlike many other Democrats, Bloomberg endorses self-funding bids for public office.
- On the social safety net:
- As mayor, Bloomberg imposed stricter requirements on who could receive homeless services.
- He did little to improve conditions for the 400,000 low-income New Yorkers living in public housing and his administration stopped inspecting public housing for lead paint.
- On abortion:
- Supports abortion rights. Has donated to the Democratic group Emily's List, which helps elect pro-choice women candidates.
- On LGBTQ rights:
- Has supported same-sex marriage since at least 2009 and championed the effort to make same-sex marriage legal in New York in 2011.
- He's spoken out against the Trump administration's ban on transgender individuals serving in the military.
- On education:
- As mayor, Bloomberg was a champion for charter schools and closed more than 100 poorly-performing public schools.
- He regularly butted heads with the United Federation of Teachers including over his unsuccessful attempts at implementing merit-based pay. He raised base salaries for teachers and raised the standards for tenure.
- On criminal justice:
- As mayor, Bloomberg championed the NYPD's "stop-and-frisk" policy, which a federal court struck down as unconstitutional racial profiling in 2013. Bloomberg continues to support the policy.
- On trade:
- Has called the Trump administration's trade policies "disastrous for America."
- On foreign policy:
- Supported the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.
- On the Iran Deal, Bloomberg has said Obama's support for it would be "more compelling if he stopped minimizing the agreement's weaknesses and exaggerating its benefits."
- Has spoken relatively little on issues of foreign policy prior to his entrance into the 2020 race.
- On taxes:
- Opposes wealth tax, has called it "probably unconstitutional," and believes government should only implement income taxes.
- Opposed New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's attempt to raise income taxes on New Yorkers earning over $500,000 annually.
- On corporate regulation:
- Bloomberg has been critical of government regulation of the financial industry.
- On democracy reform:
- Successfully pushed for change in New York City law to allow him to run for a third term as mayor.
What are Michael Bloomberg's political successes?
- As Mayor, Bloomberg successfully pushed through new New York City laws banning smoking in bars, restaurants, the majority of workplaces, and city parks and beaches.
- Bloomberg created New York's Young Men's Initiative, which works with young men and boys of color to reduce poverty and improve life quality, and the Center for Economic Opportunity to fund a host of anti-poverty initiatives in the city.
- As mayor, he rezoned 40% 0f New York City, overseeing significant economic development, and simultaneously built or preserved 165,000 units of public housing.
How much money has Michael Bloomberg raised?
Bloomberg, who's estimated to be worth more than $50 billion, is reportedly prepared to spend hundreds of millions of dollars of his own money on his presidential bid. He has not yet raised any money in the race.
Read more of our best stories on Michael Bloomberg:
- 'His trial balloon went over like the Hindenburg': Democrats are skeptical of Michael Bloomberg's potential 2020 run
- Michael Bloomberg's late entry into the 2020 race is motivated by fear among Democrats that Joe Biden's campaign is in a 'dire' place
- 3 glaring reasons why a potential Michael Bloomberg presidential bid might be doomed
- Michael Bloomberg is reportedly planning to run for president. Here's how the 8th-richest person in the US and former NYC mayor makes and spends his $52 billion fortune.