Obama’s Non-endorsement in NYC Mayoral Race
Former President Barack Obama, despite being relatively close in North Jersey, chose not to endorse Zoran Mamdani, the apparent front-runner in New York’s mayoral contest. He communicated with Mamdani only via phone over the weekend, which seemed a bit surprising.
On Saturday, Obama was across the Hudson at a last-minute rally for New Jersey’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Mikie Sherrill. However, he didn’t actually make it into New York City to bolster his party’s mayoral hopeful before Tuesday’s election.
Mamdani’s spokeswoman, Dora Pekek, tried to clarify the situation regarding this lack of endorsement. She mentioned that Mamdani appreciated Obama’s supportive words and their conversation about the need for a new political approach in the city. But, notably, a recent poll indicated that his opponent, Andrew Cuomo, was gaining ground.
While some far-left figures, such as New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, have thrown their weight behind Mamdani, mainstream Democrats like Obama have noticeably refrained from endorsing the self-described democratic socialist.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand also haven’t publicly backed anyone in this contentious race. Interestingly, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries did endorse Mamdani, but only on October 24, right before early voting started.
In a surprising twist, moderate Democrat Tom Suozzi publicly declared his support for Cuomo, who is running as an independent after Mamdani’s unexpected primary win. Suozzi pointedly stated, “I’m a democratic capitalist, not a democratic socialist,” emphasizing his disapproval of Mamdani’s views and background.
Mamdani is only 34 and lacks executive experience. He has been associated with the “defund the police” movement and is pushing for tax increases on corporations and wealthy individuals to fund programs like city-operated grocery stores and free bus services, which some critics argue could lead to unintended issues.
Patrick Gaspard, a campaign adviser to Mamdani and a former White House political director, downplayed the significance of Obama’s non-endorsement. In an interview, he commented that Obama has a longstanding policy of not endorsing local elections. He noted that simply having a conversation with Obama is a significant morale boost for Mamdani at a crucial time.
As Election Day approaches, with only 72 hours left, Mamdani still holds a 6.6-point edge over Cuomo, which is—remarkably—the closest margin since July. The latest Atlas Intel poll shows Mamdani at 40.6%, with Cuomo trailing at 34% and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa at 24.1%. Meanwhile, RealClearPolitics indicates that Mamdani has an average lead of 14.5 percentage points, positioning him favorably in the race for New York City mayor.
