Bernie Sanders To Rally With Mayor De Blasio Before Election

HELL'S KITCHEN, NY — Mayor Bill de Blasio will get a boost from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday as he seeks to rally support from the left for his re-election campaign. The de facto leader of the Democratic Party's left wing will headline a de Blasio campaign rally at the music venue Terminal 5 on Oct. 30.

Sanders, an independent from Vermont who ran for president as a Democrat last year, "highlight the Mayor’s strong record of progressive results, his vision for moving New York City forward, and the importance of voting for a Mayor who will stand up to Donald Trump," de Blasio's campaign said in an event announcement.

The rally will come a week before de Blasio, a Democrat finishing his first term, faces off with Republican state Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis in the Nov. 7 election.

De Blasio endorsed Hillary Clinton over Sanders in last year's presidential primary, in which the senator ran as an anti-establishment outsider. But Sanders' appearance could help increase de Blasio's appeal to some of his progressive critics.

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"Throughout his life, Sen. @BernieSanders has fought for change for working Americans," de Blasio's campaign tweeted Wednesday.

The rally could also boost de Blasio's efforts to cast himself as a foil to President Donald Trump, to whom he's tried to link Malliotakis. The Staten Island assemblywoman voted for Trump but has since said she regrets it.

Even without Sanders, de Blasio is likely to win a second term next month — 61 percent of voters sided with him in an Oct. 5 Quinnipiac University poll, while just 19 percent picked Malliotakis.

Patch has reached out to Malliotakis' campaign for comment. We'll update this story if we hear back.

Anyone who wants to attend Monday's rally must RSVP with the de Blasio campaign.

(Lead image: U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks in New York City during his 2016 Democratic presidential campaign. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)