The political world is buzzing after Obama held a phone call with New York City's mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, but stopped short of an endorsement.
The news, reported by the New York Post, comes as Obama rallied just across the Hudson River for New Jersey gubernatorial hopeful Mikie Sherrill in Newark on Saturday. Despite being so close to the Big Apple, he declined to step into the city or publicly back Mamdani ahead of Tuesday’s election.
This non-endorsement raises eyebrows, especially given Obama’s history of supporting mayoral candidates like Bill de Blasio in 2013, despite de Blasio’s rocky tenure. It’s a curious omission for a politician known to wield his influence in local races when it suits him.
Mamdani’s campaign adviser, Patrick Gaspard, tried to spin the snub as no big deal, telling the New York Post, “President Obama doesn’t endorse in local races. That’s a longstanding rule post-presidency.”
Yet, that claim falls flat when you consider Obama’s endorsements for mayors in cities as varied as Los Angeles, Chicago, and even smaller locales like St. Petersburg, Florida. If there’s a rule, it seems to have more exceptions than a tax code loophole.
Mamdani’s spokeswoman, Dora Pekec, also put a brave face on it, saying, “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.” But words of support aren’t a public nod, and in a tight race, that distinction matters.
The hesitation isn’t just Obama’s; other heavyweight Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand have also stayed silent on Mamdani. Even House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries waited until just before early voting to offer tepid support on October 24.
Contrast that with far-left figures like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders, who’ve been campaigning alongside Mamdani with gusto. It paints a picture of a party divided, with moderates wary of tying themselves to a self-described Democratic Socialist.
Then there’s Representative Tom Suozzi, a moderate Democrat, who threw his weight behind former Governor Andrew Cuomo, now running as an independent, with a pointed jab: “I can not back a declared socialist with a thin resume to run the most complex city in America.” That’s a burn that cuts deeper than a winter wind in the Bronx.
Mamdani’s platform doesn’t help ease concerns among centrist Democrats or wary voters. His past support for the “Defund the Police” movement and plans to hike taxes on businesses and the wealthy to fund ideas like city-run grocery stores and free buses have critics sounding alarms.
Opponents argue these policies, especially free transit, risk turning public spaces into havens for social ills like drug use. Republican strategist Rob Ryan didn’t mince words, telling the New York Post, “Even Barack Obama realizes Mamdani is bad for New York and the Democratic Party.”
Veteran consultant Hank Sheinkopf, who worked on Bill Clinton’s re-election, added a strategic lens, noting, “An Obama endorsement of Mamdani could be used against Democrats across the country next year in close elections.” It’s a pragmatic take on why Obama might be playing it safe.
As Election Day looms, Mamdani holds a lead of 6.6 percentage points over Cuomo in the latest AtlasIntel poll, with 40.6% to Cuomo’s 34% and Republican Curtis Sliwa trailing at 24.1%. But that’s the narrowest margin since July, signaling a race that’s far from decided.
The RealClearPolitics average still shows Mamdani ahead by a healthier 14.5%, positioning him as the likely next mayor of the nation’s largest city. Yet, with mainstream Democratic support so lukewarm, every missed endorsement feels like a crack in the foundation.
In the end, Obama’s phone call might be a polite gesture, but it’s not the ringing bell of confidence Mamdani needs. New Yorkers will decide soon enough if his vision for a “new kind of politics” is a dream worth chasing or a risky experiment best left on the drawing board.
