Obama Housing Secretary Mulls Run for NYC Mayor

New York – The field of contenders running for mayor of New York shrank by one this week, and a high-profile figure is considering filling the gap with his own candidacy.

Shaun Donovan, who served as housing czar in two presidential and one mayoral administrations, is planning to run for City Hall.
Donovan, 54, worked for President Bill Clinton before serving as Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s commissioner of housing preservation and development. He was then tapped by President Barack Obama as his first secretary of housing and urban development.

City & State reported earlier Wednesday that Donovan is preparing to enter the race, which has three candidates so far — Comptroller Scott Stringer, Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

The arena is still considered fluid, with the election nearly two years away. Observers expect more candidates to jump into what is seen as a weak field.

Donovan was born in New York City and lives in Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill neighborhood with his wife, an architect. Bill Hyers, a political consultant who masterminded Mayor Bill de Blasio’s 2013 mayoral campaign, is said to be running Donovan’s bid.