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Zohran Mamdani, who is leading the polls ahead of New York City mayoral election scheduled for Tuesday, received a phone call from former Democratic President Barack Obama on Saturday who praised the 34-year-old’s campaign and offered to be a “sounding board” if his advantage in the poll turns into victory in the NYC polls.
The call, reported by New York Timeswas confirmed by Mamdani’s spokesperson. Obama praised the NYC mayoral frontrunner’s campaign against the independent rival and former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, and the Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.
In a statement, Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec said, “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,” Reuters reported.
The call reportedly largely focused on challenges of staffing in the new administration and building an apparatus that could deliver on the promises which Mamdani has made in his agenda to make New York City affordable, people aware of the call told New York Times.
Mamdani, a Uganda-born state assembly member, is racing ahead in the polls against his rivals, independent candidate and former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. A recently conducted poll by Atlas estimated Mamdani (40%) had about a six percent lead over Cuomo (34%) and a 16-point advantage over Sliwa (24%).
Cuomo, who resigned as governor amid sexual harassment allegations, lost in June against Mamdani during Democratic primary. Mamdani has received endorsements from across the Democratic party lines, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and New York governor Kathy Hochul among others.
“Your campaign has been impressive to watch,” Obama told Mamdani, according to the people aware of the matter. However, the former President has not endorsed Mamdani in keeping with his general practice of avoiding any intervention in municipal races since he left office, NOW reported.
