The Hill News

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) has endorsed approximately a dozen candidates around the country this election cycle, splitting his support between high-profile Democrats like Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and lesser-known Republicans like incumbent Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.).

Issues matter to him more than party affiliation, he said on NPR's "All Things Considered" Wednesday. 

"Since I've been one of everything in my career at one time or another, I don't think that party matters," he said.

A lifelong Democrat, Bloomberg became a Republican in 2001 which led to his first term as mayor, and six years later, made another switch to become an independent.

"What you want are people who are independent in their views. That they don't listen to the party bosses. That they listen to the issues. They're smart enough to analyze it. [That] they have the experiences that we need in the legislature to know how to address the problems."

Observers note that Bloomberg looks at issues like education and gun control when deciding whom to support.

He has endorsed a variety of candidates, including incumbent Democrats Adrian Fenty, who is mayor of Washington, D.C. and Sen. Michael Bennet (Colo.), as well as Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), who is running for Senate, and Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett, who is running for governor of Wisconsin. His Republican endorsees include Reps. Mike Castle (Del.) and Mark Kirk (Ill.), both running for Senate.