Bloomberg adds more mayoral backing on eve of 4th California campaign trip

Michael Bloomberg — Mike Bloomberg | Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

SAN FRANCISCO — On the eve of his fourth campaign swing through delegate-rich California, Mike Bloomberg is adding to his arsenal of mayoral supporters in the state — with former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announcing his endorsement for the billionaire Democrat Sunday.

The endorsement will come at an event in Los Angeles on Sunday, Bloomberg’s campaign said, when he kicks off a two-day tour of California, a state upon which he’s betting heavily — and where voters have already begun receiving their Super Tuesday March 3 ballots in the mail.

The former New York City mayor plans on Monday to hit a Sacramento morning campaign event for campaign canvassers, then travel to Fresno for an early voting event aimed at Latino voters called „Ganamos con Mike.“ („Let’s Win With Mike“) He ends the day in Compton, where he will kick off the „Let’s Get It Done“ bus tour with campaign surrogates and backers.

The support of Villaraigosa — a former gubernatorial candidate who also served as speaker of the state Assembly — could help Bloomberg boost his numbers among Latino voters, who now comprise nearly 1 in 5 likely voters in California. Villaraigosa, the son of an immigrant father and raised by a single mom, served as mayor of Los Angeles, the second-largest U.S. city after New York, from 2005-2013.

But Villaraigosa has also had prominent roles in Democratic Party politics, serving as national co-chair of Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, and chair of the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

“Our country is facing challenging times without a true leader in the White House,” said Villaraigosa in an emailed statement to POLITICO. “Mike Bloomberg is the answer to solving the divisiveness Donald Trump has created, bridging the political divide in Washington, and helping to restore unity in this country once again.“

Villaraigosa’s support comes on the heels of Bloomberg’s endorsement by San Francisco Mayor London Breed, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, in addition to a roster of other mayors around the state from diverse cities, including Chula Vista, Riverside and Dinuba.

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown told POLITICO Saturday that Bloomberg’s backing by mayors has been impressive — and said he plans to be at Bloomberg’s Monday event in Sacramento. „In the short period of time he’s been in the race, the amount of money he’s spent“ has been impressive and has already given him a boost in polls, said Brown, who met for two hours with Bloomberg recently.