>> reporter: his diversity is strongly reflected in his dyed in the wool progressive thinking, from his student roots as an anti-establishment activist fighting college tuition hikes to his current platform closing the money gap between new york city's rich and new york city's poor. >> i've asked for a very modest increases in taxes for those who make a half million or more. i can safely say those who are folks who are doing well. >> reporter: he calls himselfen the unapologetically progressive of the bloomberg era. >> time for a change in this town. >> reporter: after running america's largest city, bloomberg is aiming for bigger things. de blasio now concentrating on what he feels needs to be fixed in new york. >> don't shed a tear for the developers. they've done very well. >> reporter: he would push real estate developers to build or preserve 200,000 affordable homes. and he would also create universal pre-kindergarten programs paid for by tax hikes on the city's well-to-do. but will it backfire? >> the electorate is not in a