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Former US President Barack Obama has declined to endorse New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani despite holding a phone conversation with him over the weekend, maintaining his silence ahead of Tuesday’s high-stakes election.
The election will determine the next mayor of New York City, with Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwa locked in a closely contested race that has drawn national attention.
Mamdani campaign adviser Patrick Gaspard, who previously served as Obama’s White House political director and later as US ambassador to South Africa, downplayed the absence of an endorsement.
“President Obama doesn’t endorse in local races. That’s a longstanding rule post-presidency,” Gaspard told the publication. “He endorses in general election races for federal office and governors. His call to Zohran is a huge boost at a critical moment and a signal to New Yorkers.”
However, Obama has broken that “no-local-endorsement” rule in the past, lending his support to multiple mayoral candidates, including Bill de Blasio in New York City’s 2013 race, Karen Bass and Eric Garcetti in Los Angeles, and Rahm Emanuel in Chicago.
He also weighed in on smaller city contests, backing Rick Kriseman for mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida, and Caroline Simmons in Stamford, Connecticut.
Also Read : Trump calls Zohran Mamdani a 'communist lunatic'
Obama was in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday, campaigning for Governor Mikie Sherrill but chose not to cross into New York City to publicly support Mamdani before Tuesday’s vote.
Political strategists say Obama’s silence could signal deeper discomfort within Democratic circles about Mamdani’s candidacy. Republican analyst Rob Ryan told that Obama’s decision “speaks volumes.”
“Even Barack Obama realises Mamdani is bad for New York and the Democratic Party,” Ryan said. “Obama is trying to protect other Democrats from the stain of supporting a communist for mayor in America’s greatest city.”
The absence of support from Obama adds to Mamdani’s growing political isolation. Former US President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk have also refused to endorse him.
Musk, speaking in an interview labelled Mamdani a “charismatic swindler,” warning that his progressive economic agenda could “cause a major decline in living standards.” He instead urged voters to support former Governor Andrew Cuomo, calling him a “realist alternative.”
Trump, during an interview, echoed similar sentiments, saying, “I’d rather see Cuomo — a bad Democrat — run the city than a communist.”
