Former US President Barack Obama seems to be supporting assembly member Zohran Mamdani for the New York mayoral election.According to the New York Times, Obama called Mamdani on Saturday, praising his mayoral campaign and offering to serve as a “sounding board” for the candidate. The two spoke for about 30 minutes in what is believed to be their second phone conversation since June. Mamdani has shaken up the New York City mayoral race by winning the Democratic nomination over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is now running as an independent. He led in polls against both Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Obama has not formally endorsed a mayoral candidate but publicly supported California Democrats’ Proposition 50 on redistricting. He is campaigning in Virginia and New Jersey for Democratic gubernatorial candidates Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill respectively. According to two people familiar with the matter, Obama told Mamdani he was invested in his success and discussed early challenges of staffing a new administration and delivering on pledges such as an affordability agenda. “Your campaign has been impressive to watch,” Obama said, noting Mamdani’s effective social media and voter outreach strategies. He also offered to be a sounding board and spoke of meeting in person at a later date. Mamdani reportedly thanked Obama for the call. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters this week, “We’re continuing to talk,” when asked if he would vote for Mamdani, Newsweek reported. In an October 28 memo the National Republican Congressional Committee said, “[House Minority Leader] Hakeem Jeffries’ endorsement of Zohran Mamdani confirms what NRCC polling and research already showed: the Democratic Party has been hijacked by the radical left. Mamdani is a socialist hostile to America, supports an agenda ripped directly from the pages of the Communist Manifesto, is openly anti-police, and is funded by groups with ties to terrorist organizations like Hamas. His platform, defunding police, raising taxes, and embracing socialism, is out of step with what the American people want and need.”Patrick Gaspard, an adviser to Mamdani and former political director on Obama’s 2008 campaign, told the Times, “The fact that he [Obama] placed that phone call to us [Mamdani]—and then the news of that call making its way into the world—was a very important signaler to many in the political establishment, the business establishment, to average voters that helped credential Zohran Mamdani.” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in an X post on Saturday, “It was great to join @ZohranKMamdani in Brooklyn today for service at Hanson Place SDA Church. This is the last weekend to vote early before Election Day, New York! Get out and vote and let’s make @ZohranKMamdani the next Mayor of New York City!”Meanwhile, independent candidate Andrew Cuomo wrote on November 1, “The gap is closing fast — we can feel it on the ground everywhere from the Bronx to Staten Island. At this rate, we win the race. Keep going strong.” Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa posted on October 31, “Two names, one mask: Mamdani = Cuomo. New Yorkers know this. Vote Curtis Sliwa and end the horror show.”
