--- title: Michael Bloomberg Considers Presidential Run as Independent description: Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is considering a presidential run as an independent candidate, a new report says canonical: https://time.com/4191470/michael-bloomberg-presidential-run-independent/ author: Katie Reilly article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-23T15:18:28.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T19:55:50.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Bloomberg Considering Independent Presidential Run, Report Says og:description: His presidential run is less likely if Hillary Clinton is the nominee og:url: https://time.com/4191470/michael-bloomberg-presidential-run-independent/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltea028bef3cf76549/69887a54cd1bbac6ab6ff131/bloomberg-michael.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: Global Mayors Summit Addresses Climate Issues During COP21 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Bloomberg Considering Independent Presidential Run, Report Says twitter:description: His presidential run is less likely if Hillary Clinton is the nominee twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltea028bef3cf76549/69887a54cd1bbac6ab6ff131/bloomberg-michael.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Michael Bloomberg Considering Independent Presidential Run, Report Says > Sponsored content. 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It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=eaa6fe21-00e9-4cbc-a92b-024901fdc1ef&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 85,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 37.0% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Updated: Dec 13, 2023 7:55 PM UTCPublished: Jan 23, 2016 3:18 PM UTC  Michael Bloomberg at a news conference at the COP21 climate summit in Paris, on Dec. 4, 2015. Michael Bloomberg at a news conference at the COP21 climate summit in Paris, on Dec. 4, 2015. Christophe Morin—Bloomberg/Getty Images  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Updated: Dec 13, 2023 7:55 PM UTCPublished: Jan 23, 2016 3:18 PM UTC Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is considering a presidential run as an independent candidate, [according to a new report.](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/24/nyregion/bloomberg-sensing-an-opening-revisits-a-potential-white-house-run.html?smid=tw-share) The New York _Times_, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, reports that the billionaire media executive has asked advisers to create a plan for an independent campaign. A person with knowledge of Bloomberg’s plans told TIME on Saturday morning that a Bloomberg presidential run is “significantly less likely” if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, “but not impossible.” Bloomberg, 73, has considered running for president as an independent candidate previously, but has come to believe the success of Republican front runner Donald Trump and the [recent rise of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders](http://time.com/4189537/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-poll-iowa/) over Clinton in some early states could leave an opening for him this year, according to the _Times_. He has set a deadline for making a decision in early March, people briefed on the deliberations told thepaper. A former Democrat, Bloomberg ran for mayor as a Republican and [later changed his party affiliation to independent](http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/06/19/mayor-bloomberg-quits-the-gop/). Multiple outlets previously reported that [Bloomberg commissioned his own poll](http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/09/politics/michael-bloomberg-2016-president-campaign/) in December to determine how he would fare as a third-party candidate. There has not yet been any real polling about a Bloomberg candidacy, but [an online poll](https://morningconsult.com/2016/01/new-poll-could-bloomberg-win/) showed him coming in a distant third in a matchup with Trump and Clinton due to low name recognition. The poll seemed to indicate he would hurt Clinton among independents. Most pollsters are skeptical of the value of online only polls, however. 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