While the former NYC mayor hasn’t officially thrown his hat into the ring, some Senate Democrats are already worried about the possible effects of a Michael Bloomberg candidacy. While it’s uncertain he could give Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton or party rival Bernie Sanders any real competition, his Independent run could split the Democratic vote, effectively handing the race to the GOP.
It’s happened before: Ross Perot received 19 percent of the popular vote in 1992—mainly from voters who otherwise would have voted for GOP incumbent President Bush—resulting in a Bill Clinton presidency. Similarly, a Reuters poll shows a Bloomberg run could reduce Hillary’s lead over GOP front-runner Donald Trump from 10 points to 6, and a Morning Consult poll found that he could garner 12 percent of the vote in a race between Sanders and Trump.
It remains to be seen whether Bloomie will jump into the race. We’ll keep you posted.
