Obama endorses Zohran Mamdani ahead of high-octane New York mayoral polls? Here's what he said in 30-minutes phone call
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Obama endorses Zohran Mamdani ahead of high-octane New York mayoral polls? Here's what he said in 30-minutes phone call")
Zohran Mamdani and Barack Obama Photograph: (Reuters)
Barack Obama praised NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s campaign and offered guidance if he wins, though he hasn’t endorsed him. Mamdani, backed by top Democrats, faces Cuomo and Sliwa. He defended his Muslim identity amid attacks, sharing his family’s post-9/11 struggles.
Former US President Barack Obama has praised New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's campaign and offered to be a “sounding board” if the 34-year-old frontrunner wins the election. In a statement, Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec said that Mamdani appreciated Obama’s words. This comes even as Obama has not yet endorsed Mamdani. Mamdani's policies range from hiking taxes on New York City's wealthiest, raising the corporation tax, freezing stabilised apartment rental rates, and increasing publicly subsidised housing. Mamdani is up against former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is contesting as an Independent and Republican nominee, Curtis Sliwa, in the polls that will take place on November 4.
"Your campaign has been impressive to watch," Obama reportedly said in the roughly 30-minute call with Mamdani. Pekec was quoted by Reuters as saying, “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 was first reported by the New York Times and was later confirmed by Mamdani’s spokesperson. Though Obama campaigned alongside New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill and Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, he has not yet made public appearances with Mamdani in his rallies. Mamdani has received the backing from New York Governor Kathy Hochul, US Senator Bernie Sanders, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, US Representative Jerrold Nadler, who represents Manhattan’s Upper West Side, and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
In-person voting in NY mayoral polls begun last week and is continuing for one of the most closely followed US elections this year — the New York City mayoral race. New Yorkers started casting their votes for Democrat Zohran Mamdani, Republican Curtis Sliwa, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent.
Meanwhile, ahead of the voting, in an emotional speech Mamdani slammed his opponents for “racist" attacks and defended his Muslim faith. Pledging to further embrace his Muslim identity, Mamdani spoke about the “indignities” long faced by the city’s Muslim population. He was encircled by faith leaders outside a Bronx mosque where he mentioned that he was advised to keep his faith to himself when he entered politics. Holding back his tears and in a choking voice, Mamdani shared about his aunt, “who stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab.” He was targeted for his remarks by many in the Republican Party, including Vice President JD Vance.
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