Hours after opening his official campaign for president, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio set off on a trip to two early primary states, and more barnstorming is expected in the coming weeks.

While he is gone, First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan, a former state-budget official who joined the de Blasio administration in 2014, will serve as acting mayor, said City Hall spokeswoman Freddi Goldstein. The city charter gives the mayor the ability to cede control to a deputy mayor when he leaves town.

The law also says that if the mayor is out of the city for more than nine days, the public advocate assumes the mayor’s responsibilities until he or she returns. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said Thursday that he didn’t think that would happen during Mr. de Blasio’s presidential campaign. “I ran to be public advocate,” said Mr. Williams who, like the mayor, is a Democrat. “I’m not running to be mayor.”

“I’ve traveled before and been on the phone here to make sure everything’s moving properly and I’ll continue to do that,” Mr. de Blasio said at a press conference Thursday in Lower Manhattan.

Read more at Wall Street Journal.

{Matzav.com}