It was more than seven years ago. The City Council was looking to create a living wage, forcing companies that receive city subsidies to pay their workers more.

Then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg said no.

"They would make it harder and more costly for businesses to stay, harder and more costly for businesses to stay, and harder and more costly for businesses to thrive," he said in 2012.

Three years later and then out of office, Bloomberg was not convinced raising wages was the way to go:

"I, for example, am not in favor, have never been in favor, of raising the minimum wage," he said in a 2015 interview with his Bloomberg channel.

But in California on Wednesday, Bloomberg the presidential candidate sounded a bit different.

"If you work full-time, you should earn enough to live on a living wage. There is dignity in every job and there should be dignity in every paycheck as well," he said at a news conference.

Bloomberg released new proposals to create economic opportunity for all Americans. Among the ideas: raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025.

"To fight poverty, we need to do something even more basic, and that is raise incomes. And we should start with the most straightforward change: raising the minimum wage," Bloomberg said.

Since joining the race, the former mayor has been trying to curry favor with a perhaps more left-leaning Democratic Party.

On Wednesday that also included Bloomberg committing to donate $10 million to the House Majority Political Action Committee to assist vulnerable Democrats. That's on top of money he has spent for his own campaign — which, according to one tracking firm, has reached $100 million.

The campaign secured another endorsement in California, from the mayor of Stockton. Mayor Michael Tubbs had participated in a leadership initiative at Harvard that Bloomberg Philanthropies funded.

"I am excited to announce my support for Mayor Bloomberg. I am excited to be in this fight with you all," Tubbs said at the news conference.

Six other mayors who participated in that program have now endorsed Bloomberg.

NY1 asked Bloomberg's team about that support. They told us the former mayor has worked with hundreds of elected officials since leaving City Hall to duplicate the most effective programs of his tenure.

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ADDITIONAL BLOOMBERG 2020 COVERAGE

Bloomberg Defends Comments on Stop-and-Frisk

Bloomberg Previews Gun Control Push for 2020 on Staten Island

What Bloomberg Did — and Didn't Do — When It Came to Taxing Wealthier People

It's Clear Bloomberg's NYC Record is Following Him on the 2020 Campaign Trail

Mike Bloomberg Is Worth About $54B. Is That Actually a Weakness For a Democrat Now?

Bloomberg's Stop-and-Frisk Apology Is a Far Cry From His Defense When He Was Mayor

Bloomberg Apologized for Stop-and-Frisk at a Church Visit. What Does the Pastor Think About It?

Bloomberg Planning to Spend $100M on Anti-Trump Ads in Swing States

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