Bloomberg’s congressional endorsers grow to three

In a span of 24 hours, Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg has picked up an additional pair of endorsements from the House: Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) and Rep. Harley Rouda (D-Calif.).

Murphy’s and Rouda’s endorsements of Bloomberg come after Rep. Max Rose (D-N.Y.) endorsed the former New York mayor earlier in the week, bringing his total of House endorsements to three.

“I think Mayor Bloomberg, whether it is as an executive or as mayor or as a philanthropist, is focused on achieving results, Murphy told Politico Thursday. “And I believe this country needs that approach.”

In a statement, Rouda cited the billionaire’s record as mayor, saying “he’s a legendary businessman who also ran one of the nation’s largest and most complex cities, a city with a population larger than 39 states.”

“He’s met payrolls, knows how to balance budgets, and understands the intricacies of our economy,” he added.

The states that Rouda and Murphy represent — California and Florida, respectively — are both central to Bloomberg’s unorthodox campaign strategy. 

Since he entered the race late, Bloomberg won’t be on the ballot for the first four primaries. Instead, his campaign has decided to focus on Super Tuesday. Not only is California a part of Super Tuesday, but it also boasts 415 national convention delegates, making it a crucial battleground for any Democratic candidate that wants to receive the party’s nomination.

Florida’s primary comes after Super Tuesday, and with 219 delegates, is another key state. According to Politico, Bloomberg, who has the largest campaign staff of any Democratic presidential hopeful, has invested heavily in the Sunshine State. 

“In order to win Florida you need message and machine, and I think that Mayor Bloomberg has both,” Murphy told the publication.

“He is already making commitments to building that machine there, and I think that is critical.”