GOP party chief says Bloomberg bid would likely help Republicans, hurt Democrats

NEW YORK, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus says if former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg decides to run for president, it won't affect the GOP.

"I don't really view it as a third party [candidacy]. I just view it as another Democrat," he told CNN Wednesday. "So you'll have two Democrats running and splitting their vote."

Priebus added that Bloomberg's candidacy could even allow Republicans to take back states like "Connecticut and New Hampshire and Maine, places we used to win 20 years ago. We'll take it."

Preibus doesn't appear to wrong, either. Recent polling data shows that Bloomberg's possible third party run would just draw votes away from Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders.

Bloomberg confirmed rumors earlier this week that Bloomberg is seriously considering an Independent run for the White House.

Bloomberg, who has previously been a member of both major parties, espouses a mixture of conservative fiscal policy and liberal social policy.

"I find the level of discourse and discussion distressingly banal and an outrage and an insult to the voters," he said.

Last week, Democratic National Committee chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz discouraged Bloomberg from running, calling his candidacy "unnecessary."

Schultz said Bloomberg's main ideological views are already shared by existing Democratic candidates.