The prospect of the ultra-liberal Bill de Blasio winning the Democratic nomination may thrust New York mayor Mike Bloomberg back into the arms of the Republican party he left.

The New York Post reports that Bloomberg is so concerned that de Blasio would reverse all of his initiatives on crime, business development, and restraint on tax increases that he will support Republican Joe Lhota, the current frontrunner in the GOP primary being held next week. De Blasio, the city’s current public advocate, has recently taken a commanding lead over his Democratic primary rivals.

Lhota, a former deputy mayor to Rudy Giuliani, has the kind of management experience Bloomberg values. Llota headed the Metropolitan Transit Authority — that runs New York’s subways and buses — until January.

Should de Blasio win the Democratic nomination and be elected, he would be the first genuinely liberal mayor New York as had since David Dinkins left office with the city in a shambles two decades ago.