Obama calls Mamdani, praises his campaign, offers to be ‘sounding board’ if he wins

Former US president’s call seen as ‘an important signal” of support, NY Times reports; string of Democratic leaders, though not all, have endorsed the anti-Israel frontrunner

Former US president Barack Obama called Zohran Mamdani, the frontrunner in the New York City mayoral race,on Saturday to praise his campaign and to offer to serve as a “sounding board” if the candidate wins.

“Your campaign has been impressive to watch,” Obama was said to have told Mamdai in the 30-minute conversation.

The call, first reported by The New York Times, was confirmed by Mamdani’s spokesperson.

“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,” said Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec.

Mamdani is a longtime anti-Israel activist who has said the Palestinian cause is central to his identity. His anti-Israel rhetoric has alarmed many Jews, sparking a series of warnings from Jewish leaders who say that his vilification of Israel could spur antisemitism.

Jews in New York City are targeted in hate crimes far more than any other group. Mamdani has pledged to fight antisemitism as mayor while acknowledging that many Jews disagree with his views on Israel.

Mamdani told Obama that “he had drawn inspiration for his own recent speech on Islamophobia from Obama’s speech on race during his first presidential run,” the Times reported.

The two tentatively discussed meeting face-to-face in Washington, The Times reported. Obama also called Mamdani after he won the mayoral primary in June.

The Times noted that Obama has not formally endorsed Mamdani, “in keeping with his general practice of avoiding any intervention in municipal races since he left office,” but said the call marks “an important signal” of support.

Some Democratic Party leaders have “kept a palpable distance” from Mamdani, The Times said. But his candidacy has won endorsements from party holdouts such as former vice president Kamala Harris and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and he has received a steady stream of financial backing from small donors.

Mamdani is polling ahead of former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, a pro-Israel centrist and his leading rival in the race, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. The election is on November 4.