Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg brought his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination to Compton Monday, securing the endorsement of Mayor Aja Brown and addressing voters at an early afternoon rally.
Bloomberg is skipping Monday's Iowa caucus and the upcoming New Hampshire primary, focusing his considerable resources on California and other large states.
"If you ask me, voters here deserve to hear from the candidates. Well, I'm here, and I'm here to win," Bloomberg said. "...In just two months we've built a strong statewide operation and we're not taking any district for granted. We're opening up 20 offices across the state."
Brown's endorsement came several hours before Bloomberg visited the city for what his campaign billed as a "Mike Bloomberg 2020 Organizing Event" and "Kickoff of the Get it Done Express Bus Tour with Mike Bloomberg 2020 Surrogates and Supporters."
The campaign also announced the endorsements of all three female members of the Compton City Council -- Michelle Chambers, Emma Sharif and Tana McCoy.
The Bloomberg campaign said Brown endorsed the billionaire in part due to his plan to address national infrastructure, reduce waste and bureaucracy by sending federal dollars to the local level, and his economic agenda focused on job creation through investment in cities.
Brown also praised Bloomberg for having "a proven track record of producing results and is committed to energizing and investing in our nation's people with a real plan to create new economic opportunities and leveling the playing field for people of color."
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Brown is the latest in a series of mayors to have endorsed Bloomberg including San Francisco Mayor London Breed, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser.
The Bloomberg campaign announced the endorsement of former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Saturday.
Villaraigosa's successor as mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for the nomination Jan. 9, calling him, "an incredible partner in delivering progress for L.A."
