New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announces 2020 presidential run

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced his run for the presidency, the latest Democrat to enter the race.

In a video released on Thursday, de Blasio said it was "time we put working people first" and said President Donald Trump "must be stopped".

"I'm a New Yorker, I've known Trump's a bully for a long time," he added. "I know how to take him on."

He is expected to visit Iowa and South Carolina to begin campaigning this weekend.

The mayor plans to emphasize his record of progressive accomplishments, including universal pre-kindergarten, a $15 minimum wage and paid sick leave - all in a city that has a bigger population, more than 8 million, than most U.S. states.

But de Blasio faces an uphill battle to stand out among nearly two dozen Democratic contenders, who include former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and liberal icons like U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

The Manhattan-born politician de Blasio is no stranger to crowded races, beating out eight other Democratic contenders in his mayoral primary.

The 58-year-old progressive politician won a landslide victory in 2013 to become New York's first Democratic mayor since 1993.

Previously serving on the city's council and as New York Public Advocate, de Blasio has implemented a program of free universal pre-school made police wear body cameras and highlighted economic inequality in the most populous city in the US.

In 2017 he was re-elected in another landslide, winning more than 66% of the vote against his Republican challenger.

But rumors he would announce a run for the presidency have angered the city.

An April Quinnipiac poll said 76% of New Yorkers did not want him to stand. "Every listed party, gender, racial, borough and age group agree that the mayor should not hit the campaign trail," the pollster reported.

His popularity took a hit after a federal investigation found the mayor made inquiries to city agencies on behalf of donors, though it cleared him of criminal wrongdoing. De Blasio has denied any misconduct, saying he acted appropriately at all times.