City Council Speaker Offers Skepticism About Mayor's Possible Presidential Bid

As New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio heads for New Hampshire this weekend — his third trip to an early presidential nominating state in less than a month — City Council Speaker Corey Johnson seems to be among the skeptics of his long-shot presidential bid.

"Good luck," Johnson said, when asked about de Blasio’s trip to New Hampshire, before joking that the mayor would likely find some Boston Red Sox fans there, a net positive for him given de Blasio’s avowed devotion to the team. Johnson added that he himself vacationed there as a child. “So I love New Hampshire,” he said.

But when asked if he thought the mayor could balance running for president while doing his day job, Johnson offered a more serious assessment. Being mayor is a tough job, Johnson said, maybe the second toughest elected position in the country. There are times when things happen in the city that require the mayor’s presence, he added.

"If a tragedy struck, if a snowstorm hits, if something happens to the NYPD or a member of the FDNY, if there’s a spike in crime, if, if, if," he said.

Johnson, who is eyeing a mayoral bid in 2021, conceded that mayor’s deputies should be able to manage the agencies and city operations without his daily oversight when he is away — possibly on the campaign trail.

The mayor canceled his first planned trip to New Hampshire last month, citing the death of an NYPD detective. Still, during an appearance on Fox 5’s Good New York on Wednesday, the mayor said he had no plans to step down if he officially launches a presidential bid.

Johnson offered a note of optimism about the mayor’s upcoming trip.

"The good thing is at least New Hampshire is very close to here. It's like an hour flight," said Johnson, "So it's not hard to get back in case something happens."