Michael R. Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor and billionaire businessman, appears to be preparing for a potential 2020 presidential run.. He filed paperwork in November to get on the Democratic primary ballot in Alabama, a state with an early deadline.

Mr. Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor and billionaire businessman, has been privately weighing a bid for the White House and has not yet made a final decision on whether to run, the New York Times reported, pointing out that should Mr. Bloomberg proceed with a campaign, it could cause a disruption in the Democratic race. With his immense personal wealth, centrist views, and close ties to the political establishment, he could present a threat to the candidacy of former Vice President Joe Biden, the New York Times said. Mr. Bloomberg, 77, initially bowed out of the 2020 race because of Mr. Biden’s apparent strength, but he has since grown skeptical that Mr. Biden is on track to win the Democratic nomination, and he does not see the two leading liberals in the race — Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont — as strong candidates for the general election, according to the New York Times.