Barack Obama called New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on the phone this weekend to offer support and be a "sounding board" for Mamdani's political ambitions into the future.
The spiritual leader of the Democratic party told Mamdani that his campaign has been "impressive to watch," New York Times reported.
Obama's quiet support comes even as many Democrats have kept their distance from Mamdani, a self-avowed socialist.
Mamdani's rise has been a political problem for Democrats, who have split on whether to endorse him. Democrats are aware that Republicans plan to tie Mamdani to Democratic candidates in the 2026 midterms, and attacks have already started in Tuesday's off-year elections.
The top Democrat in the Senate, New York's Chuck Schumer, has declined to back Mamdani, and the top Democrat in the House, New York's Hakeem Jeffries, hesitated before finally endorsing Mamdani in late October.
On the other hand, Long Island Democratic congressman Tom Suozzi has forcefully rejected Mamdani and his socialist politics.
While many Democrats have danced around Mamdani's campaign, he is likely to stick around, with polls showing him the clear favorite in a three-way race with ex-governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Obama is not endorsing Mamdani, at least not publicly, but the former president appears to see the 34-year-old as a kindred spirit. The Times reports that Obama and Mamdani made plans to meet in Washington D.C., where Obama has continued to reside since leaving the White House.
"Mr. Obama said that he was invested in Mr. Mamdani’s success beyond the election on Tuesday," the New York Times reports.
Obama was in Newark, New Jersey this weekend to campaign for Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic candidate in New Jersey's close race for governor.
Despite being a short drive from New York City, Obama didn't make any time for Mamdani.
While Mamdani is widely expected to win the mayoral election, that is likely not the only reason Obama isn't getting involved.
The former president is certainly aware that his socialist protege's politics are too radical for most of the country outside liberal cities like New York, and so, Obama wants to downplay Mamdani's role on the left, at least for now.
This caginess from Obama is not new. His own rise to political stardom in the 2000s masked a radical agenda that ended up dividing the country, despite his promises to bring America together.
