He was mayor of a city with more than 700,000 Puerto Ricans, and now Michael Bloomberg is finally taking a side on the controversial issue of Puerto Rico's status.
"I support statehood for Puerto Rico," he wrote in an op-ed published by The Orlando Sentinel. "And as president, I will work to pass a bill making it a reality, subject to approval by the people of Puerto Rico — who will make the ultimate decision."
"He believes that under statehood is the only true way to truly bring Puerto Ricans, American citizens, into full citizenship," said Alejandra Soto, a spokeswoman for Bloomberg's presidential campaign.
This announcement, plus a comprehensive plan for rebuilding Puerto Rico and restructuring its debt, garnered him the endorsement of Puerto Rico's former representative in the U.S. Congress, Pedro Pierluisi, who is now one of the leading candidates for governor.
"He is not shying away from this issue as many others have done," Pierluisi said. "I expect to be campaigning for Michael Bloomberg and being a surrogate for Michael Bloomberg in Puerto Rico primarily. But if the campaign asks me to go to Florida, I'll be willing to do so."
About a million Puerto Ricans live in Florida, many of them Democratic voters with a primary on March 17.
And even though Puerto Ricans living on the island cannot vote in the presidential election, they do have a Democratic primary scheduled on March 29. Pierluisi's endorsement could sway some voters.
"It will definitely help Bloomberg in mobilizing Puerto Ricans not just in Puerto Rico, but also, most likely, in Florida," said Carlos Vargas Ramos, director of Public Policy at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College.
Democratic candidates for president Andrew Yang and John Delaney have also said Puerto Rico should be a state. When asked in 2018 about statehood, President Donald Trump said that he absolutely didn't support it.
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ADDITIONAL BLOOMBERG 2020 COVERAGE
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Bloomberg Is a Democrat With a History of Backing Republicans — Including In 2018
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Mike Bloomberg Is Worth About $54B. Is That Actually a Weakness For a Democrat Now?
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