Overview
- The New York Times reports Barack Obama held a roughly 30‑minute call with Zohran Mamdani, praised his campaign, and offered to act as a senior advisor without issuing a formal endorsement, with a possible Washington meeting discussed.
- Fresh polling from Atlas Intel puts Mamdani at 40.6%, Andrew Cuomo at 34%, and Curtis Sliwa at 24%, while a two‑way hypothetical shows Cuomo leading 50% to 42% and the RealClearPolitics average still shows Mamdani with a double‑digit edge.
- Michael Bloomberg has contributed $1.5 million to Cuomo’s independent bid, providing a late infusion of funds.
- Mamdani’s platform focuses on cost‑of‑living relief through a rent freeze, free buses, free childcare, and higher taxes on wealthy residents and companies, with proposals also including a $30 minimum wage by 2030.
- Progressive figures including Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez have helped draw large crowds for Mamdani, even as some Democratic leaders and business voices question his executive experience and agenda.