Former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio won't run for governor

Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday he will not seek election to the governor's office this year.

But de Blasio, who was born in Manhattan, said on Twitter that he is "going to devote every fiber of my being to fighting inequality in the state of New York."

He did not expand on what that entails.

The 60-year-old served as the city's mayor from 2014 until 2021, and had been hinting at a run for governor.

A poll released Tuesday, conducted by Sienna Research, show the state's current governor, Kathy Hochul, has a commanding lead among New York Democrats. Hochul, who replaced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo after he resigned amid a sexual harassment investigation, led de Blasio by 34 percentage points in the poll.

Hochul is the first woman to hold the office.

New York Attorney General Letitia James suspended her campaign for governor last month and will instead seek re-election to her current post.

In November, de Blasio filed paperwork to create a fundraising committee and spoke about a statewide education plan, but did not clarify his gubernatorial aspirations.

In 2013, de Blasio became the first Democrat to serve as New York City mayor since 1993.