US: Obama calls Mamdani, offers to be his "sounding board" for NYC mayoral bid

New York [US], November 2 (ANI): Former US President Barack Obama called New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Saturday and praised his campaign and offered to be a "sounding board" in the future, the New York Times reported.

The private, roughly 30-minute phone call, which had not been reported earlier, was described by two people who participated or were briefed on the conversation, the New York Times said.

Obama reportedly told Mamdani that he was invested in his success beyond the upcoming election and discussed the challenges of building an administration capable of delivering on his agenda of affordability in the city.

Obama spoke admiringly about Mamdani's campaign, making light of his own past political missteps and noting how few the New York City candidate had made "under such a bright spotlight."

"Your campaign has been impressive to watch," Obama told Mamdani, according to those familiar with the discussion.

While Obama has not formally endorsed Mamdani, consistent with his practice of avoiding intervention in municipal races since leaving office, the call marked the second time the two have spoken since the Democratic primary, signalling quiet support from the former president.

Obama offered to remain a "sounding board" if Mamdani wins and discussed tentative plans to meet in Washington, though no date has been set.

A spokeswoman for Obama declined to comment, while Mamdani's spokesperson Dora Pekec said in a statement, "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."

According to the New York Times, the outreach comes amid divisions within the Democratic establishment over Mamdani's candidacy.

Senator Chuck Schumer has yet to declare his support, saying "We're continuing to talk," while House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed Mamdani only on the eve of early voting.

Patrick Gaspard, an adviser to Mamdani and Obama's former political director, said the first call between the two in June came "unsolicited, unprompted" from Obama.

"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," Gaspard told the New York Times.

Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman, drew national attention after defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the June primary.

His campaign, which has drawn comparisons to Obama's 2008 run, boasts 90,000 volunteers and has featured rallies with Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Obama has previously said he now sees his role in politics as shifting "from player to coach."

In a recent interview, he added, "For the long term, what I could do that would be most helpful would be to start promoting, lifting up, shining a spotlight on that next generation of leadership and talent."

A person close to Obama said he viewed Mamdani's rise as an example of such leadership emerging independently, reflecting his vision for the Democratic Party's future. (ANI)

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