Obama praises Zohran Mamdani’s impressive campaign in call, offers to be 'sounding board': Report
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Former President Barack Obama may not be formally endorsing Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral bid, but he did pick up the phone to offer some encouragement just two days ahead of the NYC election.
According to The New York Times, the two spoke for about 30 minutes on Saturday, November 1. During the call, Obama praised the 34-year-old candidate for what he described as an “impressive campaign.”
“Your campaign has been impressive to watch,” Obama told the Democratic candidate, further offering to be a “sounding board” after he takes office.
Obama calls Zohan Mamdani two days ahead of the mayoral election
During their 30-minute phone call, Obama spoke with Mamdani about the realities of running a city government, from building an administration to delivering on promises to make New York more affordable. They also agreed to meet in Washington, DC, though the timing remains undecided, as per The New York Post.
Mamdani, who has built his campaign around progressive causes, told Obama that he drew inspiration for a recent speech on Islamophobia from Obama’s historic 2008 address on race. “Zohran Mamdani appreciated Obama’s words of support and their conversation on the importance of bringing a new kind of politics to our city,” said campaign spokesperson Dora Pekec in a statement to the outlet.
The exchange marked the second time the two have spoken, with discussions of a possible follow-up meeting after the election.
The call came as Obama traveled along the East Coast to campaign for Abigail Spanberger in Virginia and Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey. Spanberger and Sherrill are both in tight gubernatorial races in their respective states.
Zohran Mamdani tops latest NYC poll ahead of Election Day
Just two days before New York heads to the polls, Zohran Mamdani holds a steady lead in the city’s three-way mayoral race. A Quinnipiac University poll conducted from October 23 to 27 shows the Democratic nominee, Mamdani, at 43 percent, followed by Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent, at 33 percent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa at 14 percent.
The campaign has centered on three key issues dominating voters’ concerns: the city’s soaring cost of living, public safety, and how each candidate would handle ongoing tensions with President Donald Trump, who has threatened to cut federal funding to New York.
It’s quite surprising to see Mamdani in conversation with Obama. Back in 2013, the Democratic socialist had slammed the former president on X, calling him “pretty damn evil.”
