Rudy Giuliani is exploring running for New York City mayor next year, political insiders say — and the disgraced ex-Hizzoner isn’t outright denying it.
Giuliani, reached by The Post on Sunday at his Palm Beach, Fla. home, said, “I’m not going to say never, ever, ever.”
Still, he said, as of now, “I’m not running for mayor.
“But then there are a lot of people who want me to run for mayor,” he said. “But it’s unlikely.”
Giuliani, 80, was a Mafia-busting federal prosecutor before serving as Gotham’s mayor from 1994 to 2001, earning the nickname “America’s mayor” for his leadership after 9/11 — and then spectacularly falling from grace.
These days, he is busy fighting a $148 million judgment and facing two criminal indictments for allegedly interfering in the 2020 election. He has already been disbarred from practicing law in DC.
Giuliani said Sunday that the idea of him running for mayor might not be so far-fetched, even if he hasn’t officially thrown his hat in the ring.
He cited the alleged corruption in the Adams administration and said the other likely candidates for mayor are dangerously far-left.
“Everyone running for mayor looks like they’re from Red China. They don’t look American,” the ex-mayor said. “I’m concerned about the city becoming a Democratic dictatorship.”
“The only time since Fiorello LaGuardia a century ago that city government was honest was under me and Mike Bloomberg,” he said. “If you don’t have a Republican or independent mayor, you will have corruption at City Hall.”
A few weeks ago, Giuliani acknowledged his elderly age.
“I am 80 years old with a bad knee and 9/11 related lung disease,” he said at the time.
Still, he worked the crowd at the Oct. 27 Madison Square Garden Trump rally when he came out to cheers of, “Rudy! Rudy! Rudy! We love you, Rudy!”
Numerous people close to Giuliani have told The Post he remains a beloved and respected figure whether he’s out on the streets in Manhattan, Palm Beach — or even Europe.
Under New York City law, a mayoral candidate doesn’t have to reside in the city but must move in when serving.
But the former mayor faces skepticism within his own Republican party.
“I view this as a joke,” said the source with direct knowledge of the Giuliani team’s exploration of a 2025 bid.
There are others also lining up to run for the Republican nomination.
They could include Democratic Mayor Eric Adams switching parties instead of facing stiffer competition among Democrats, the political insider said.
Republicans Curtis Sliwa and John Catsimatidis are also considering runs, sources said.
“You know what I’m most scared of? I might win,” Catsimatidis told The Post last month.
If there are more than two Republican candidates in the primary, there would be ranked-choice voting for the nomination.
