Photo: The Canadian Press

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday that he will seek the Democratic nomination for president, adding his name to an already long list of candidates itching for a chance to take on Donald Trump.

The mayor announced his run with a video released by his campaign.

"There's plenty of money in this world. There's plenty of money in this country. It's just in the wrong hands," de Blasio says at the beginning of the video.

He concludes: "I'm running for president because it's time we put working people first."

In announcing his candidacy, de Blasio seeks to claim a role on the national stage that has eluded him as mayor of the biggest U.S. city.

When he took office in 2014, de Blasio seemed briefly poised to become a leading voice for an emerging left wing of the Democratic Party.

But liberal enthusiasm faded over his first term, partly because of political missteps at home and the emergence of bigger names elsewhere. He could face obstacles trying to distinguish himself in a crowded field.

During a Thursday morning appearance on "Good Morning America," de Blasio borrowed one of Trump's favourite tactics by giving the president a disparaging nickname: Con Don.

"He's a con artist. I know his tricks I know his playbook," the mayor said.

Earlier this week, de Blasio held a news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower to blame the skyscraper for contributing to air pollution.

But the event also drew a group of Trump supporters who heckled as de Blasio hollered to make himself heard.

On Thursday Trump tweeted that de Blasio was "considered the worst mayor in the U.S."

The president continued, "He is a JOKE, but if you like high taxes & crime, he's your man. NYC HATES HIM!"

De Blasio, 58, has drawn small audiences so far in visits to early primary states including Iowa, South Carolina, Nevada and New Hampshire, where an audience of six showed up for a mental health discussion.

A recent Quinnipiac University poll found 76% of New York City voters say they believe he shouldn't run.