Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who recently re-registered as a Democrat, added another $10 million to the Democratic Party's efforts to take back the House and Senate.
The majority of the money from the last-minute boost will help fund an ad buy though Bloomberg's super PAC, Independence USA PAC, and the ad will begin airing Friday online and on television in eight cities – Chicago, Seattle, Detroit, Kansas City, Miami, Orlando, Portland and Atlanta. The ad, titled, "National Economy," will also air on national cable outlets, including MSNBC and CNN, according to CNN.
The ad castigates Republicans and suggests Democrats are more committed to cutting taxes for the middle class. It comes during a midterm cycle that has several Democrats mulling a potential 2020 presidential bid. "In Washington, one party is calling the shots and the middle class isn't being heard," a ad narrator says.
"It's clearer than ever that we need a new Congress," Bloomberg said in a statement to CNN. "With the midterm elections less than two weeks away, we're taking this message from coast to coast and urging voters to elect Democrats to the House and the Senate."
Bloomberg's move comes amid growing speculation he may run for president in 2020. According to CNN:
Bloomberg, who served three terms as mayor, has been crisscrossing the country to speak at events and fundraisers in support of Democratic candidates. During the stops, Bloomberg frequently criticizes Trump's policies and chides Republicans for failing to serve as a check on Trump, stoking further speculation Bloomberg will run for president — an idea he's flirted with during the lead-up to previous election years.
Democrats in Washington took Bloomberg's presidential ruminations more seriously, however, after he pledged in June to spend $80 million on behalf of Democrats in the 2018 midterms. He later upped the number to $100 million, a massive amount that has amplified Republican concerns in Washington that Democrats will be able to bury them in ads for the final weeks of the campaign.
Bloomberg is already spending on key contested races in expensive media markets. On Thursday, for example, Independence USA will spend $4.5 million for Katie Hill and $4.1 million for Harley Rouda, according to the Federal Election Commission, two California congressional candidates looking to unseat Republicans in the expensive Los Angeles media market.
Bloomberg has donated over $23 million to Independence USA PAC in October.