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Michael Bloomberg Considering 'All the Options' for 2016 Presidential Bid

Former New York mayor and billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg has confirmed for the first time that he is looking at a possible bid for the US presidency, British media reported Tuesday.

By Robin Powell

Former New York mayor and billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg has confirmed for the first time that he is looking at a possible bid for the US presidency, British media reported Tuesday.

When asked about entering the race to become president in 2016, the media mogul told the Financial Times newspaper that he is "looking at all the options."

Bloomberg, a former Democrat, ran for New York mayor as a Republican and has been without a political party since 2007.

The 73-year-old described the debate in the current presidential race as "distressingly banal and an outrage and an insult to the voters."

The loudest voice in the Republican race so far has been fellow businessman Donald Trump, while the Democratic nomination is now a two-horse race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

The New York Times reported in January that Bloomberg told friends he would be willing to spend at least a billion dollars -- out of an estimated wealth of nearly 40 billion dollars -- on the campaign and will decide by March whether to enter the race.

(c)2016 Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH (Hamburg, Germany)

Caroline Cournoyer is GOVERNING's senior web editor.
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