“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,” said Bloomberg adviser Howard Wolfson in a statement. He added that the former mayor would use his record of serving as mayor of the largest city in the US, as well as starting his own company and his numerous philanthropic activities.
“Based on his record of accomplishment, leadership and his ability to bring people together to drive change, Mike would be able to take the fight to Trump and win,” Wolfson said.Bloomberg's sudden decision to run in the race comes as the once overabundant pool of Democratic candidates has narrowed down, focusing heavily on four prominent candidates – Joe Biden, the front-runner who has been slowly falling behind in the polls; Bernie Sanders, the Jewish senator from Vermont who is recovering from a heart attack; Elizabeth Warren, whose staunch anti-Wall Street positions have led to some discomfort among moderates; and Pete Buttigieg, the young mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who some feel is too inexperienced.Warren, at the very least, seems to believe in Bloomberg's intentions to run, tweeting "Welcome to the race."While Alabama's deadline for filing candidacy is Friday, other states – such as New Hampshire – have later deadlines.Reuters contributed to this report.