Advertisement Michael Bloomberg headed to NH, fueling speculation of a 2020 presidential run Former New York City mayor to speak at Nashua gun control rally Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Three days after officially becoming a Democrat for the second time, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will visit the first-in-the-nation primary state on Saturday to push his gun control agenda with local officials and candidates in Nashua, WMUR has confirmed.Bloomberg, founder of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, will appear at a rally at Nashua City Hall Plaza with the city’s mayor, Jim Donchess, six New Hampshire House candidates and volunteers for Moms Demand Action, a grassroots group which formed after the tragic shootings of elementary school students and teachers in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012.Donchess’ chief of staff, Kim Kleiner, and a second source familiar with the event confirmed Bloomberg’s scheduled appearance to WMUR Friday afternoon.While the gun issue and local political races will be the focus of the event, Bloomberg’s appearance fuels speculation that the 76-year-old former three-term New York mayor is serious about a 2020 presidential run. He considered, and decided against, presidential runs in 2008 and 2016 as an independent. He chose not to run in 2016 because he said he did not want to split the left-of-center vote and help Donald Trump win the White House.Instead, he spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, backing Hillary Clinton and blasting fellow New Yorker Trump with the memorable line, “I’m a New Yorker, and I know a con when I see one.”Bloomberg has noted that he was a Democrat for most of his life before leaving the party in 2001 to run for New York mayor as a Republican. He left the GOP and became an independent in 2007 and was elected to his third term as mayor in 2009 while affiliated with neither political party.Fast-forward to 2018, and on Wednesday, Bloomberg announced that he was re-registering as a Democrat.In simultaneous posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, Bloomberg wrote, “At key points in U.S. history, one of the two parties has served as a bulwark against those who threaten our Constitution. Two years ago, at the Democratic Convention, I warned of those threats. Today, I have re-registered as a Democrat – I had been a member for most of my life – because we need Democrats to provide the checks and balance our nation so badly needs.”Bloomberg has been a leading gun control advocate since his time as mayor. He founded Mayors Against Illegal Guns in 2006 during a summit he co-hosted with former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. Related organizations, Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action grew from Mayors Against Illegal Guns following the shootings at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.Bloomberg, described by Forbes.com in January as having net worth of $51 billion, has heavily funded all of those organizations.In Nashua, Bloomberg will be joined by Donchess, who is a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns; New Hampshire Moms Demand Action volunteer Deidre Reynolds; state Reps. Jan Schmidt and Sue Newman, both of Nashua; and New Hampshire House candidates Linda Harriott-Gathright of Nashua, Robin Skudlarek of Londonerrry, Michelle Sawyer-Moge of Derry and Liz McConnell of Brentwood. Dozens of volunteers for Moms Demand Action are expected to attend the get-out-the-vote rally. Later, the volunteers will canvass and phone bank for local Democrats. A key New Hampshire Democrat said that if Bloomberg is serious about running for president, his work on the gun control issue will ensure him receptive audiences in the first-in-the-nation primary state should he decide to become a regular visitor.“Given Mayor Bloomberg’s work in helping end gun violence in New Hampshire and across the country -- and given most progressives’ support for focusing on ways to expand background checks, outlaw bump stocks and assault-type weapons -- most Democratic activists will be receptive to hearing from him,” said Lucas Meyer, president of New Hampshire Young Democrats.“Beyond that, it will be up to Mayor Bloomberg to make his case, but he has certainly put his money where his mouth is on ending gun violence, which is meaningful.”Meyer said the gun violence issue has been a catalyst for progressive youth activism in the United States in recent years, “and if we want to make progress on it, we need to have a presidential candidate to base much of his or her campaign on ending gun violence and be unafraid to debate it and make it a top issue.”