New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg endorsed President Obama, citing stark differences between the two candidates:

“When I step into the voting booth, I think about the world I want to leave my two daughters, and the values that are required to guide us there. The two parties’ nominees for president offer different visions of where they want to lead America.

“One believes a woman’s right to choose should be protected for future generations; one does not. That difference, given the likelihood of Supreme Court vacancies, weighs heavily on my decision.

“One recognizes marriage equality as consistent with America’s march of freedom; one does not. I want our president to be on the right side of history.

“One sees climate change as an urgent problem that threatens our planet; one does not. I want our president to place scientific evidence and risk management above electoral politics.”

Here’s what President Obama had to say about the Mayor’s endorsement:

“I'm honored to have Mayor Bloomberg's endorsement. I deeply respect him for his leadership in business, philanthropy and government, and appreciate the extraordinary job he's doing right now, leading New York City through these difficult days.

“While we may not agree on every issue, Mayor Bloomberg and I agree on the most important issues of our time—that the key to a strong economy is investing in the skills and education of our people, that immigration reform is essential to an open and dynamic democracy, and that climate change is a threat to our children's future, and we owe it to them to do something about it. Just as importantly, we agree that whether we are Democrats, Republicans, or independents, there is only one way to solve these challenges and move forward as a nation—together. I look forward to thanking him in person—but for now, he has my continued commitment that this country will stand by New York in its time of need. And New Yorkers have my word that we will recover, we will rebuild, and we will come back stronger.”

Click here to read Mayor Bloomberg’s endorsement in its entirety.

Read the endorsement