Michael Bloomberg Plans New Entity to Boost Biden and Defeat Trump

(Bloomberg) -- Michael Bloomberg plans a new organization with offices in six battleground states to help Joe Biden beat Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination and then defeat President Donald Trump in November, his campaign said Wednesday.

The new entity will also work to elect Democrats in races for Congress and state seats.

The name, budget and scope of the effort is still being formed but will absorb field offices that Bloomberg opened in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, a Bloomberg campaign aide said on condition of anonymity.

(Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.)

The Washington Post first reported the details of Bloomberg's plans after he ended his presidential bid Wednesday after failing to win enough delegates on Super Tuesday to have a viable path to the party's nomination.

Hawkfish LLC, the ad tech startup that Bloomberg founded to help counter Republicans' digital efforts and served as his campaign's primary digital agency, will continue to exist as a separate entity, the aide said.

The new organization cannot consult with a candidate or with the Democratic National Committee for spending decisions. It also can't share employees with a campaign or use common vendors that could share information on the candidate's plans.

Bloomberg had pledged to put the formidable infrastructure he built for his campaign in key states at the service of whoever wins the Democratic nomination to beat Trump in November. As he left the race, the former New York mayor endorsed Biden and said he would work to get him elected.

“I will not walk away from the most important political fight of my life, and I hope you won't walk away either,” Bloomberg said in an emotional speech to campaign staff and supporters.

Bloomberg's campaign manager Kevin Sheekey said on MSNBC Wednesday that the campaign would continue to air anti-Trump ads, and he wouldn't rule out running primary ads against Sanders. Bloomberg has said he thinks Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, would lose to Trump and take down-ballot Democrats with him if won the nomination.

--With assistance from Bill Allison.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Niquette in Columbus at mniquette@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Magan Crane

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