Michael Bloomberg Endorses Clinton

The choice is surprising in some ways. Bloomberg is currently registered as an independent. He was elected mayor of New York City in 2001 as a Republican, but prior to that he had been a registered Democrat. Though his personal political views don’t necessarily align with today’s Democratic party, as the New York Times notes, he has been quite outspoken against Republican nominee Donald Trump throughout this election cycle.

Bloomberg considered running for president as a third-party candidate earlier this year, but ultimately decided against it. He explained that the process was built to support two parties, and that a third party candidate simply could not win. His speech at the convention is expected to position her as the best choice for moderate voters.

Though he hadn’t endorsed Clinton at the time, he suggested that he didn’t want to unintentionally steal votes away from her, providing Trump with a smoother path towards the White House. “As the race stands now, with Republicans in charge of both Houses, there is a good chance that my candidacy could lead to the election of Donald Trump,” he explained in a Bloomberg View post. “That is not a risk I can take in good conscience.” Read more at Fortune.