NEW YORK — Former President Barack Obama spoke with New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani on Saturday, days before voters head to the polls in one of the most closely watched local elections in the country.
A campaign spokesperson confirmed to CBS News that Mamdani “appreciated President Obama’s words of support and their conversation on bringing a new kind of politics to our city.” The call, first reported by The New York Times, marks the first public acknowledgment of contact between the former president and the 34-year-old democratic socialist.
Mamdani, who defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the June Democratic primary, faces Cuomo — now running as an independent — and Republican Curtis Sliwa in Tuesday’s general election. Despite his strong polling, national Democrats have shown hesitation: Senate leaders Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have not endorsed, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries waited until late October to back Mamdani.
Meanwhile, GOP Rep. Nick Langworthy endorsed Cuomo, calling him “a far superior choice” to Mamdani, whose policies he warned could become “contagious around the country.”
Progressive icons Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rallied for Mamdani last week, framing the race as a defining moment for the future of the Democratic Party.
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