NEW YORK CITY — The progressive group headed by Mayor Bill de Blasio is pushing ahead with plans to hold a non-partisan presidential forum, but the mayor said he's still not ready to endorse Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.
"I think Secretary Clinton is offering a more and more powerful vision for addressing the issues that I’m particularly focused on, and I give her a lot of credit for that," de Blasio said during a City Hall press conference.
"I still think there’s some issues that we have to hear a little more on, but I think with each passing day she’s put forward a stronger and clearer vision. And I think it’s something that a lot of people find very compelling."
In April, de Blasio and First lady Chirlane McCray convened a meeting of progressive leaders and politicians from around the country at Gracie Mansion and announced plans to make income inequality a central issue of the 2016 presidential campaign
In May the group unveiled a 13-point plan called "The Progressive Agenda" outside the U.S. Capitol meant to rival the 1994 Republican Contract With America.
Since then, de Blasio said there's been a "deepening discussion" about inequality that he hopes the forum will bring more into focus.
"I’m excited about this forum because it’s going to be an opportunity for any and all candidates who want to talk about real solutions to income equality to come forward and put their ideas on the table, and talk about the thing that actually is on the mind of more and more Americans," said the mayor.
De Blasio said "a bi-partisan group of candidates" would be invited to attend the forum but the "final logistical details" were still being worked out.
The mayor's decision not to endorse Clinton comes as Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito announced her support for her days before the candidate is scheduled to visit Puerto Rico, which is seeking to file for bankruptcy.
Mark-Viverito, who is Puerto Rican, announced her support in the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia.
She called the upcoming presidential election the "most important in our lifetime" and said Clinton supports criminal justice reform and healthcare.
"Let's send a woman to the White House," Mark-Viverito wrote.
Later, she tweeted that Clinton had called to thank her.
Promptly at noon, as scheduled, @HillaryClinton calls to thank me for my endorsement. ¡Gracias a ti Hillary! Happy to join your team.
— Melissa MarkViverito (@MMViverito) September 2, 2015
