With just one day to go before voters in New York head to the polls, Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani tried to play down former President Barack Obama’s decision not to publicly endorse him — even as he admitted he spoke to the former president on the phone.
“I appreciated his words”
“I appreciated the call with President Obama and his support for the movement we’ve created,” Mamdani told reporters during a morning news conference at City Hall Park on Monday (Nov. 2).
“I appreciated his words. I appreciated his time and I appreciate this movement for putting us on the brink of creating a new city in this place,” the Queens lawmaker added in a somewhat meandering response when pressed about Obama’s absence from the campaign trail.
Obama skips New York stop
Over the weekend, Obama appeared in neighboring New Jersey to campaign for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikey Sherrill — but notably skipped any personal appearances for Mamdani in New York.
While the two spoke briefly on the phone, campaign aides have not released details of their conversation.
He is fighting moderate Democrats
Since the Democratic nomination in June, Mamdani has faced opposition from the moderate wing of his party, which has slowly rallied around his progressive platform.
It took months for Gov. Kathy Hochul and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to publicly endorse him — both offering support only after mounting pressure from party activists.
