Make no mistake, there is one priority in this election: Ending the partisanship in Washington, and putting our country back on the right track. To do that, we need a candidate who can win – and that’s why I’m proud to endorse Democrat Mike Bloomberg for president.

Mike, like myself, grew up in a working-class New England family. He’s worked hard for everything he’s ever had; paying for college with a job at a parking lot and starting his business in a small one-room office. Mike built one of the world’s most influential businesses by putting in long days and nights, and by bringing people together.

This is exactly how Mike will win this election, by traveling to every part of the country, meeting people in their communities and working harder than everyone else. He understands that for too long parts of our country have been written off by Democrats and Republicans alike. Mike is committed to fighting the toxic partisan politics of Washington across the country, and is already campaigning in 35 states. He isn’t running to further divide the country, but to bring it together and build a country we can be proud of. He understands that it’s time for less talk, less partisanship and less division. It’s time to get things done.

Mike has gotten things done his entire career, taking a leadership role in fighting many of the issues that Maine and the country must face. While the Trump administration has tried to drag us backwards on climate change, Mike has been leading the fight against the crisis.

As the U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Climate Action, Mike brought together thousands of unlikely partners in the private and public sectors, holding us to the promises of the Paris climate agreement. In the White House, he will continue this work, creating a clean-energy economy as fast as humanly possible and expanding clean energy jobs across the country. He did just this in New York City, reducing the city’s carbon footprint by 14 percent, according to Environmental Protection Agency records, and creating the cleanest air in over 50 years.

As mayor, Mike saw the crippling impact of the opioid epidemic on families and communities – a crisis Maine knows all too well – and formed the Prescription Painkiller Abuse Task Force. The task force raised public awareness and led to the introduction of a policy to restrict the prescription of powerful painkillers when they were not needed. Mike has continued to fight the opioid crisis after his time as mayor, and in 2018 announced he would donate $50 million to 10 states over three years to combat the epidemic.

As assistant secretary of labor for veterans’ employment and training, I saw firsthand the issues facing our veterans. Mike will work every day to repay the immense debt our country owes to those who served. He has proposed a plan that would help bridge the gap between military and civilian life, making sure that veterans have access to good quality jobs and get credentials for the skills they have. This would include the education of companies on the invaluable skillsets that our veterans possess. Mike did just this as mayor, creating the Veterans Employment Initiative, which helped New York veterans find good jobs and affordable housing.

On so many of the issues facing Maine people, Washington has failed us – delivering nothing but partisanship and bluster. In fact, politicians in Washington have tried their hardest to push us backward on the environment, health care and so many other critical issues. Mike Bloomberg has a track record of getting results and he’s the only person who can create the broad coalition needed to defeat Donald Trump. Make no mistake, it won’t be easy, but Mike Bloomberg has gotten it done all his life and he’s the best prepared to win in November.

 

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