Former Mayor Mike Bloomberg was on the stump in Arizona on Day Three of his presidential campaign.

He was filing paperwork to get on the ballot in this southwestern state. It becomes the eighth state where he will appear on the ballot.
 

In Arizona, he met with local Democratic leaders and broke bread. Then, he took questions from reporters, a scene that felt less like Presidential Candidate Bloomberg and more like Mayor Bloomberg back in the Blue Room of City Hall.

 

Bloomberg was being peppered with questions about his record — from his record with the teachers' union to his apology for the police tactic of stop-and-frisk.

"With Randi Weingarten and the UFT [United Federation of Teachers], we negotiated a 43 percent increase in compensation," Bloomberg said.

''How many times do you hear an elected official saying you made a mistake?" Bloomberg said. "None of us do anything perfectly. I am sorry it happened. I can't rewrite history. Let's get on with it."

He even cited a controversial tax increase early in his tenure as mayor as evidence he would increase taxes on the wealthy nationwide.

"Remember, when I was mayor, I raised taxes dramatically on people, particularly the wealthy," Bloomberg said. "Why? Because we needed to pay for our municipal services."

Day Three and it was clear the mayor's legacy will be held under a microscope as he mounts his candidacy for president.

A new poll from Quinnipiac University on Tuesday showed Bloomberg joins the race with just 3 percent, tied with Senators Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar.

But he is far behind former Vice President Joe Biden, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg; and the leaders of the progressive wing of the party, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

He panned some of those progressive ideas on Tuesday, too.

"'Medicare for All' would destroy our hospital system," Bloomberg said. "Doctors wouldn't be able to make enough money to pay off their loans."
 


Clearly, Bloomberg has a lot ground to make up.

He is expected to take the next couple days off of the campaign trail for the Thanksgiving holiday.

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ADDITIONAL BLOOMBERG 2020 COVERAGE

Bloomberg Buying Over $30M in Campaign Ads

Bloomberg's Stop-and-Frisk Apology Is a Far Cry From His Defense When He Was Mayor

Bloomberg Apologized for Stop-and-Frisk at a Church Visit. What Does the Pastor Think About It?

Bloomberg Planning to Spend $100M on Anti-Trump Ads in Swing States

New York Democrats' Mixed Bag of Reactions to Bloomberg Reconsidering Presidential Run

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