When the former president sees someone who’s a rising star — who deserves not just attention, but also nurturing — he’ll make a call.
Since winning the New York City mayoral Democratic primary in June, Zohran Mamdani’s campaign has caused some disagreement among Democrats. The self-described democratic socialist still hasn’t received endorsements from some of the state’s most well-known Democrats, like Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
However, this week, The New York Times reported that one major Democratic figure is interested in Mamdani’s campaign: former President Barack Obama. The Times said, “In a lengthy call in June, Mr. Obama congratulated Mr. Mamdani, offered him advice about governing and discussed the importance of giving people hope in a dark time, according to people with knowledge of the conversation.”
What’s interesting about Obama’s work after leaving the presidency is that these calls happen more often than people might think. When he sees someone who is a rising star—someone who deserves attention and support—he will make a phone call like this.
Looking ahead to the general election, Mamdani will need to use the advice he’s been given and explain his ideas to voters. This is his chance to show his political skills again. But whether it’s a primary or the general election, it’s the voters who will make the final decision.
For Obama, this doesn’t seem to be about political beliefs. He has also helped elect more moderate Democrats, like Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin. Obama endorsed Slotkin in 2024 and even made a campaign ad to support her.
Obama understands that Democrats shouldn’t ignore someone like Mamdani. He ran a campaign that inspired hundreds of thousands of people. Not reaching out to someone like that to have a conversation would have been a mistake.
