Former President Barack Obama is showing his support for Zohran Mamdani during a phone call on Saturday. The call came just days ahead of the New York City mayoral election on Nov. 4. Obama reportedly offered to be a “sounding board” if the Democratic candidate wins the election.
What did Barack Obama and Zohran Mamdani talk about during their phone call?
Obama spoke to Mamdani on a 30-minute phone call in which he praised his electoral campaign and expressed interest in connecting beyond the election.
“Your campaign has been impressive to watch,” Obama told Mamdani, according to The New York Times’ sources.
Mamdani reportedly told Obama that he drew inspiration for his recent speech on Islamophobia from the former president’s speech on race during his first mandate. They also spoke about potential plans to meet in person in D.C., although no date has been set.
“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,” Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec said, according to Reuters.
Mamdami earned a nomination after a resounding victory at the June 24 primary. His campaign has highlighted the need for left-wing policy in New York City and his promises include more taxes on the city’s wealthiest residents and corporations, freezing the rent of stabilized apartments, as well as increasing publicly subsidized housing.
At just 34 years old, Mamdani has been seen as the symbol of renewal within the Democratic Party. He has received endorsements from former Vice President Kamala Harris, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Receiving support from Obama is especially significant as some Democratic leaders have not publicly endorsed Mamdani.
Barack Obama initially called Zohran Mamdani after his primary win
This is the second time Obama has called Mamdani on the phone. He called him in June after his win at the primary to congratulate him. It was “unsolicited, unprompted,” Mamdani adviser Patrick Gaspard said at the time.
“It’s something President Obama didn’t need to do,” he recently told The New York Times. “The fact that he placed that phone call to us — 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.”
Gaspard added that the June call was “important to Zohran personally” after his win at the primary in order to “begin to think about the kind of infrastructure he would need around him to prepare himself for governance.”