FILE - In this Nov. 26, 2019, file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg speaks to the media in Phoenix. Democrats are narrowing Donald Trump's early spending advantage, with two billionaire White House hopefuls joining established party groups to target the president in key battleground states that are likely to determine the outcome of next year's election.(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)

NASHUA – New Hampshire Democrats don’t even have the option to choose former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg when they go to the polls Feb. 11 because he didn’t file to run in the first-in-the-nation (#FITN) presidential primary.

However, two national polls released on Monday show that Bloomberg – who owns about 88% of his namesake TV network and has an estimated net worth in excess of $50 billion – leads several candidates who will be on the New Hampshire ballot. These include Kamala Harris, Tulsi Gabbard, Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, Andrew Yang, Tom Steyer, Julian Castro and John Delaney.

The Hill HarrisX poll, as well as the Morning Consult poll, also show that former Vice President Joe Biden has re-established himself as a clear national front-runner. The Hill HarrisX poll gives Biden 31% of the vote, with Vermont’s Bernie Sanders a distance second at 15%. The Morning Consult survey, meanwhile, puts Biden at 29% and Sanders at 20%.

These national numbers are totally contrary to the Real Clear Politics polling average for New Hampshire. This metric puts Biden in fourth place, leaving him trailing Indiana’s Pete Buttigieg, Sanders and Massachusetts’ Elizabeth Warren, respectively.

As for Bloomberg, in late January, he arrived in Nashua in an effort to drum up support for a presidential run with a visit to the WH Bagshaw Co. machine shop. After spending time speaking with workers and company officials, Bloomberg enjoyed pizza and soda with the group.

At the time, however, Bloomberg ultimately decided against running for president, adding that he would likely support Biden’s candidacy. However, the former New York City mayor is now pushing forward with his own bid.

Instead of spending time in New Hampshire – or even Iowa or South Carolina for that matter – Bloomberg is going national right away.

“Great to be here in Phoenix and to meet with some voters and hear about the issues that are most important to them. Arizona, as you know, is a crucial battleground state, but you don’t often see presidential candidates around here,” Bloomberg said while in Arizona on Nov. 26.

Nov. 25 in Norfolk, Virginia, Bloomberg said, “We cannot afford four more years of President (Donald) Trump’s reckless and unethical actions. He is an existential threat to our country, to our values, and our national security.”

Meanwhile, Biden continues campaigning across America, continuing to bash Trump at every turn.

“We’re the only nation built on an idea and he’s trashing it. He is trashing it,” Biden said of Trump.

“The issues that are before us now are in my wheelhouse more than anybody else running for president,” the former vice president added.

POLL COMPARISONS

Below are the Real Clear Politics averages for candidates, comparing the national leaders to the New Hampshire numbers.

1

New Hampshire – Pete Buttigieg, 20%

National – Joe Biden, 27.2%

2

New Hampshire – Bernie Sanders, 17%

National – Bernie Sanders, 16.2%

3

New Hampshire – Elizabeth Warren, 14.3%

National – Elizabeth Warren, 14%

4

New Hampshire – Joe Biden, 13.7%

National – Pete Buttigieg, 11.4%

5

New Hampshire – Tulsi Gabbard, 5%

National – Michael Bloomberg, 3.4%

6

New Hampshire – Andrew Yang, 3.7%

National – Kamala Harris, 3.4%

7

New Hampshire – Tom Steyer, 3.3%

National – Andrew Yang, 2.8%

8

New Hampshire – Amy Klobuchar, 3%

National – Amy Klobuchar, 2.4.%

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