Bloomberg is considering Hillary Clinton as his running mate

Presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is considering Hillary Clinton as a vice presidential running mate after positive internal polling about the potential pairing, according to the Drudge Report, which cited sources close to the Bloomberg campaign.

According to Drudge, in such a partnership Bloomberg would change his official residence from New York to Colorado or Florida. The constitution suggests there may be limitations if both members of a presidential ballot residing in the same state.

Jason Schechter, director of communications for the Bloomberg campaign, said in a statement to CNBC: “We are focused on the primary and the debate, not VP speculation.” A spokesperson for Clinton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ran for president in 2016, losing to Donald Trump in an election that served him 304 electoral votes and Clinton 227. Helping Trump’s victory were his wins in key industrial and Rust Belt states — Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Those states are likely to be key in the 2020 election as well.

Clinton was asked earlier this year by talk show host Ellen DeGeneres if she would consider running as vice president in the 2020 presidential election.

“Well, that’s not going to happen,” Clinton said at the time. “But no, probably no.”

Clinton has been less coy when addressing the current field of Democratic candidates. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hillary Clinton slammed Sen. Bernie Sanders, her main competitor in the 2016 Democratic primary, saying “nobody likes him” and accusing him of supporting sexist attacks against his rivals.

Bloomberg has recently has been asked to answer for accusations the company he founded, Bloomberg LP, was discriminatory toward women.

Bloomberg, a late contender in the presidential race, has been pouring money into ads and online memes to support his run. Those efforts appear to have born fruit, with him rising in the polls.

CNBC