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Former US President Barack Obama personally called New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Saturday, praising his campaign and offering to be a “sounding board” in the future, The New York Times reported.
The 30-minute private phone call was confirmed by two people involved in or briefed on the discussions, the report said.
“Your campaign has been impressive to watch,” Obama told Mamdani, according to people familiar with the conversation.
praise and political guidance
During the call, Obama reportedly told Mamdani that he was “invested in his success” beyond the upcoming election and they discussed the challenges of building an administration capable of pursuing his agenda on affordability in New York City.
Obama also praised Mamdani’s campaign discipline, mocking his own early political mistakes and noting how little Mamdani had done “under such a bright spotlight”.
Although the former president has not formally endorsed Mamdani – in line with his policy of avoiding involvement in municipal races – the call was seen as a quiet show of support.
Constant Contact Plan
Obama offered to stay in touch and serve as an advisor if Mamdani won. The two also discussed tentative plans to meet in Washington, although no date has been set.
An Obama spokesman declined to comment on the call. Mamdani’s spokeswoman, Dora Peck, said in a statement: “Zohran Mamdani appreciated President Obama’s words of support and his conversation on the importance of bringing a new kind of politics to our city.”
Former Obama political director Patrick Gaspard, now an adviser to Mamdani, said Obama’s first call to Mamdani in June came “unsolicited, unannounced.”
Gaspard told The New York Times, “The fact that he made that call to us and then the news of that call went out around the world was a very significant signal to many people in the political establishment.”
His campaign has included rallies with Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, drawing comparisons to Obama’s 2008 campaign.
A person close to Obama told The Times that he sees Mamdani’s rise as an example of the kind of leadership he would like to see flourish — one emerging independently but aligned with his vision for the future of the Democratic Party.
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