US: Obama calls Mamdani, offers to be his “sounding board” for NYC mayoral bid

Former US President Barack Obama called New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Saturday and praised his campaign and offered to be a “sounding board” in the future, the New York Times reported.

The private, roughly 30-minute phone call, which had not been reported earlier, was described by two people who participated or were briefed on the conversation, the New York Times said.

Obama reportedly told Mamdani that he was invested in his success beyond the upcoming election and discussed the challenges of building an administration capable of delivering on his agenda of affordability in the city.

Obama spoke admiringly about Mamdani’s campaign, making light of his own past political missteps and noting how few the New York City candidate had made “under such a bright spotlight.”