Michael Bloomberg filed paperwork to appear in Arkansas’s Democratic presidential primary despite not yet officially announcing a presidential bid.
The former New York mayor and billionaire businessman flew to Little Rock, Arkansas, on Tuesday to personally file the paperwork, according to the New York Times. Arkansas has an early filing deadline, Tuesday at noon local time, to appear on the state’s March 3 primary ballot.
He also filed paperwork last week for Alabama’s March 3 Democratic primary ballot, which had a Nov. 8 deadline. Bloomberg is slated to appear on Michigan’s March 10 primary ballot, which chooses listed names based on individuals who are mentioned as candidates in the news media. New Hampshire has the next primary filing deadline on Friday.
Bloomberg, 77, previously ruled out a presidential bid but has reportedly seen an opening to enter the race late as former Vice President Joe Biden falters in the polls and in fundraising.
“We now need to finish the job and ensure that Trump is defeated — but Mike is increasingly concerned that the current field of candidates is not well-positioned to do that,” Howard Wolfson, a Bloomberg adviser, said last week. “If Mike runs, he would offer a new choice to Democrats built on a unique record running America’s biggest city, building a business from scratch, and taking on some of America’s toughest challenges as a high-impact philanthropist.”
The billionaire is not the only potential candidate considering a last-minute presidential bid. Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, 63, reportedly told Biden in a phone call last week that he is thinking about joining the Democratic primary race.
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