Photo: Win McNamee / Getty Images News / Getty Images
Former President Barack Obama recently spoke with New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, offering praise for Mamdani's grassroots campaign but stopping short of endorsing him. The two had a 30-minute phone conversation over the weekend while Obama was in New Jersey campaigning for Mikie Sherrill for governor. According to ABC News, Obama told Mamdani, "Your campaign has been impressive to watch," and offered to be a "sounding board" for the candidate in the future.
This was the second phone conversation between Obama and Mamdani, a New York state assemblyman and self-described democratic socialist. During the call, they discussed the challenges of staffing a new administration and fulfilling campaign promises. Despite the positive exchange, Obama did not endorse Mamdani, which is consistent with his tendency not to endorse in municipal elections. However, his silence is notable as he has endorsed other major contests, such as California's Prop 50 redistricting measure and Supreme Court retention races in Pennsylvania.
Mamdani, who has received endorsements from New York Governor Kathy Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, is running against former Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Photo Credit: Getty Images