Bill de Blasio

Bill de Blasio is a former Democratic mayor of New York City, serving from 2014 to 2021. He previously represented Brooklyn's 39th City Council district from 2002 to 2009 and served as New York City Public Advocate from 2010 to 2013.

Born Warren Wilhelm Jr. on May 8, 1961, in New York City, Bill de Blasio adopted his mother's Italian surname. He was raised partly in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and entered politics early, volunteering in Nicaragua in the 1980s and working on David Dinkins's 1989 mayoral campaign. De Blasio managed Hillary Clinton's successful 2000 U.S. Senate campaign and served as regional director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 1997. As a Democrat, his notable achievements include expanding universal pre-K to over 70,000 children, creating over 200,000 affordable housing units, implementing police reforms like de-escalation training and body cameras, passing the Climate Mobilization Act for carbon neutrality by 2050, and leading the city through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Education and Political Experience

De Blasio graduated from New York University and earned a master's degree from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. His political career began on a New York City school board, followed by election to the City Council for Brooklyn's 39th district . He then served as Public Advocate before winning the mayoral election in 2013 and reelection in 2017, focusing on reducing income inequality, raising the minimum wage to $15, and addressing homelessness through "The Journey Home" initiative.