Bill de Blasio can count on campaign help from Bill and Hillary Clinton if he needs it to become the city’s next mayor, sources said Wednesday.
With speculation swirling that Hillary Clinton will make another run for the White House, sources who’ve worked closely with the Clintons said it makes good politics for the power couple to stump with the presumptive Democratic nominee.
“If you’re running for president, wouldn’t you want to be able to say you helped elect a Democrat running for mayor of New York City?” said consultant Hank Sheinkopf, a media consultant for Bill Clinton’s 1996 re-election campaign.
Scheinkopf also noted, “Bill and Hillary are loyal to the people who work for them.”
It just so happens that de Blasio was campaign manager for Hillary’s successful 2000 Senate campaign in New York.
An insider who worked for Hillary’s 2008 presidential campaign said, “If (de Blasio) asks, the Clintons wouldn’t say no. If it’s a close race, de Blasio will bring in the star power and the Clintons do take care of their own.”
Their support may be overblown. The Clintons have campaigned for previous Democratic candidates — but all lost.
Mark Green, the 2001 Democratic nominee, recalls the Clintons attending several events for him. He was defeated by Mike Bloomberg.
“I’m sure two of the most powerful Democrats in the country will campaign with the Democratic nominee for mayor. That goes without saying,” said Green.
In 2005, the former president held a campaign event in The Bronx for Democratic nominee Fernando Ferrer — who also lost to Bloomberg.
Then-Sen. Clinton appeared with Ferrer as well.
When he was president, Bill Clinton was a featured speaker for Mayor David Dinkins’ re-election bid in 1993 ( he lost to Rudy Giuiiani) and for Ruth Messinger in 1997 ( she also lost to incumbent Giuliani).
And one of de Blasio’s closest confidantes, Patrick Gaspard, the new US ambassador to South Africa, is President Obama’s former political director — raising the possibility that Obama will swoop in for a campaign appearance.