Former President Barack Obama has privately endorsed the mayoral campaign of Zohran Mamdani, a communist, in New York City.
According to The New York Times, Obama called Mamdani for around half an hour, during which time he praised his campaign and offered him political support.
Their report states:
Former President Barack Obama called New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Saturday, praising his campaign and offering to be a “sounding board” into the future.
The private, roughly 30-minute phone call, which has not previously been reported, was described by two people who participated or were briefed immediately on what had been said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private conversation.
Mr. Obama said that he was invested in Mr. Mamdani’s success beyond the election on Tuesday. They talked about the challenges of staffing a new administration and building an apparatus capable of delivering on Mr. Mamdani’s agenda of affordability in the city, the people said.
The former president’s outreach on the eve of what has been a contentious election is notable, given how divided the Democratic establishment has been over Mr. Mamdani and the role that Mr. Obama still plays in the party.
Zohran Mamdani is a mainstream Democrat, he has the support of the entire coalition – from street activists and thugs to Governor Hochul, AOF, and Barack Hussein Obama. pic.twitter.com/5PCnXtchOY
— Cernovich (@Cernovich) November 1, 2025
While Obama has not publicly endorsed Mamdani, this is in line with his general policy of not getting involved in municipal elections.
Mamdani, who is a self-professed socialist and sympathizer with radical Islam, has received endorsements from the likes of New York Governor Kathy Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
However, one notable admission remains Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has confirmed that the pair have held talks but has yet to offer any public backing to his campaign.
The endorsements signify the growing willingness among the Democratic establishment to openly embrace far-left socialism and abandon the pretense of being political moderates.
Yet, the latest polling data indicates that Mamdani would likely cruise to victory over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, even without the support of the Democratic establishment.
According to the latest RealClearPolitics polling average, Mamdani holds a commanding 14.5 percent lead over Cuomo, with some polls showing him up by a massive 25 points.
The New York mayoral election will take place next Tuesday.
