NEW YORK, NY October 28, 2008 —Mayor Bloomberg has made it clear he intends to stay out the endorsement game when it comes to the presidential election. But in some tough local races, the mayor is jumping into the fray.

He announced he's endorsing Dennis Shulman, the blind psychologist and rabbi from northern New Jersey who's running against incumbent Congressman Scott Garrett.

Bloomberg says he wants to support candidates he sees as rising above partisan politics.

BLOOMBERG: Just as with Chris Shays who is a Republican, and this case Dennis Shulman is a Democrat, I believe we need people on both sides of the aisle to come to the rescue of this country. In too many things, ideology has gotten in the way.

The mayor says he opted to weigh in on New Jersey's 5th Congressional district race because of incumbent Scott Garrett's opposition to gun control measures, an issue Bloomberg has championed through the group "Mayors Against Illegal Guns."