Former President Barack Obama is throwing his political weight behind anti-Israel frontrunner Zohran Mamdani as New York prepares to elect its next mayor this week.
According to The New York Times, Obama privately spoke with Mamdani on Saturday in a roughly 30-minute call, praising his campaign as “impressive to watch” and offering to serve as a “sounding board” if the 34-year-old wins Tuesday’s election. Aides familiar with the call say the two discussed the challenges of staffing a new administration and fulfilling promises to make housing and city life more affordable.
“Zohran Mamdani appreciated President Obama’s words of support and their conversation on the importance of bringing a new kind of politics to our city,” a spokesperson for Mamdani said in a statement.
The call marked the second between the two men since the Democratic primary in June, when Mamdani upset former Governor Andrew Cuomo by double digits.
While Obama stopped short of a formal endorsement, his outreach marks a notable gesture from the party’s elder statesman toward a candidate whose anti-Israel and socialist platform has divided Democrats.
While Mamdani’s campaign has drawn backing from fellow Israeli critics such as Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, he has not gained the endorsement of longtime New Yorker Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and only just recently gained the support of White House Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Since leaving office, Obama has rarely waded into local politics. His only mayoral endorsement came in 2022, when he backed Los Angeles Democrat Karen Bass at the last minute as she faced billionaire Republican Rick Caruso.
Meanwhile, Republicans quickly turned Obama’s outreach into ammunition with the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) issuing a memo on Saturday vowing to make Mamdani “synonymous with the Democratic Party nationwide,” arguing his progressive agenda of higher taxes, rent freezes, and expanded public housing would “undermine New York’s competitiveness.”
Early voting is already underway, with New Yorkers set to make their final choice between Mamdani, Cuomo, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa when polls open citywide on November 4.
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