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De Blasio delays Nashua visit after cop death

By Casey Junkins - City Editor | Feb 13, 2019

Mayor Bill de Blasio photographed during a portrait sitting on Tuesday, January 14, 2014. Credit: Rob Bennett for the Office of Mayor Bill de Blasio

Editor’s Note:

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio today confirmed to The Telegraph that he will not come to Nashua on Friday as had been scheduled on Tuesday. This occurred in the aftermath of the death of New York Police Department Detective Brian Simonsen. Today, de Blasio tweeted “NYPD Detective Brian Simonsen courageously gave his life last night. Any one of us could have needed his help, and he would have selflessly shown up to protect us. Please keep his family and the NYPD in your thoughts and prayers. They’ve all suffered a tragic loss.”

ORIGINAL STORY

NASHUA – Calling himself “an outspoken progressive” committed to helping undocumented immigrants defeat federal authorities in courtrooms, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio believes the nation’s recent leftward political shift may allow him to be a viable 2020 presidential candidate.

Therefore, de Blasio is on his way to New Hampshire to meet with Granite State Democrats in advance of his potential 2020 bid. He is scheduled to make at least one appearance in Nashua on Friday, according to Gate City Mayor Jim Donchess.

“Mayor de Blasio is coming to Nashua on Friday. I think he is going to meet with some folks, but I’m not yet sure of the specifics,” Donchess said Tuesday.

Jaclyn Rothenberg, a member of de Blasio’s communications staff, also confirmed he is coming to Nashua, though she did have more details Tuesday.

Donchess, himself a Democrat, said he has met de Blasio a couple of times, engaging in conversations he found productive.

Donchess said de Blasio will be at least the third mayor of New York City to visit Nashua. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, also a potential presidential candidate, has twice visited Nashua in the last few months. Donchess said another former NYC mayor, the late Ed Koch, also once visited Nashua.

Who is Bill de Blasio and What Does He Stand For?

Born May 8, 1961 in New York’s Manhattan borough, de Blasio is a married father of two. His biography states he is a graduate of New York University and Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

In 2002, de Blasio joined the New York City Council, representing Brooklyn’s 39th district. During his two terms, his biography states he fought to improve public education, expand affordable housing, protect tenants’ rights, and reform social services for families and children. Elected Public Advocate in 2009, he pursued fairness for tenants, taxpayers, and students, his biography adds.

An unabashed liberal Democrat, de Blasio states on his website that in 2017, he “added $16.4 million to the budget to provide legal representation to immigrant New Yorkers who are facing deportation and other legal immigration challenges.” He proudly states that his administration has “Dramatically Reduced Marijuana Arrests.”

His website adds that de Blasio will, “continue to be an outspoken progressive voice on issues that touch the lives of his fellow New Yorkers, including: income inequality, early childhood education, immigration reform, infrastructure, and voting rights. These issues of basic fairness for every New Yorker have animated Mayor de Blasio’s life and career across three decades of activism and public

service.”

Who else is Running(or potentially running)?

“I think it is too early. I think a lot of them are very interesting,” Donchess said when asked to identify a favorite regarding 2020 Democratic presidential contenders.

Though de Blasio is not yet a candidate, plenty of announced candidates are making moves in acknowledgment of New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary status. Those who have visited the Granite State at least once in 2019 include:

* U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who spoke during a rally in Manchester;

* U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who spoke with voters at a coffee shop in Nashua and at a beer brewery in Manchester;

* U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, who made various appearances in the state;

* Julian Castro of Texas, who spoke at St. Anselm College in January;

* John Delaney of Maryland, who also spoke at the college, as well as with voters in Nashua;

* Andrew Yang of New York, who made various stops throughout the state; and

* Bloomberg, who also spoke at the college and toured the WH Bagshaw plant in Nashua.

* In a matter of days, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California is expected to make her first appearances in New Hampshire. Currently ranked No. 1 on The Telegraph’s list of 2020 Democratic contenders, Harris is scheduled to appear at a town hall-style event in Portsmouth, along with a speech at St.

Anselm College.

* U.S. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, currently No. 5 on The Telegraph’s list, is scheduled to attend a “house party” at 10 a.m. Monday in Nashua.

Top Democratic contenders Beto O’Rourke of Texas, Joe Biden of Delaware and Bernie Sanders of Vermont have not formally declared their candidacies for president.

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