New Yorkers of color pen open letter urging Super Tuesday voters to ‘stay away’ from Bloomberg

A letter signed by New Yorkers of color is urging Super Tuesday voters to “stay away” from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg when they cast their ballots on March 3.

The letter, made public on Tuesday, was signed by 90 people, including family members of victims of police shootings in New York, advocacy group leaders and elected officials such as state Sen. Julia Salazar (D).

“As more voters of color begin to have their say in the Democratic presidential primaries, we hope that you’ll heed our advice: stay away from Mike Bloomberg,” the letter said. “After four years of Trump, the last thing our country needs is someone who will champion racist and discriminatory policies, exacerbate economic inequality, and undermine democracy with his wealth.”

Since Bloomberg entered the presidential race in late November, he has transferred more than $400 million of his own money into the campaign, most which has been spent on advertising. Unlike his Democratic rivals, the billionaire candidate has focused his resources on the 14 Super Tuesday states. He is not competing in the four early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

“We lived under a Bloomberg administration,” the letter said. “We urge you NOT to reward Bloomberg with your vote. His governing record in New York – a period that lasted 12 years, because he used his wealth and influence to change the law and give himself an additional term – was abysmal and destructive.”

On Super Tuesday, when more than a third of the total delegates will be awarded, voters in delegate-rich and substantially Latino states such as Texas and California will cast ballots. A recent poll in North Carolina, another Super Tuesday state, showed Bloomberg in third place.

New York holds its primary on April 28.

Bloomberg has seen an increase in congressional endorsements, including from members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus.

Priscilla González, a co-signer of Tuesday’s letter and campaign director for Mijente, a Latino advocacy group that endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) last week, told The Hill that Bloomberg’s recent endorsements are “a page out of his playbook where he essentially buys support without actually engaging on the issues and being honest.”

“He courted the idea of running for president for a long time and he’s made strategic donations to garner that support,” she added.

The Bloomberg campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.

The letter listed policies Bloomberg enacted as mayor that it said had a “devastating impact on our families and communities.”

Some of those issues were brought up during last week’s Democratic presidential debate in Nevada, where nearly every candidate on stage piled on Bloomberg, pointing out troubling aspects of his record as mayor and as a businessman.