Former President Barack Obama and several veterans of his political network are increasingly involved in the New York City mayoral bid of Zohran Mamdani, the democratic-socialist who captured the Democratic primary two months ago and enters the November election as the front-runner. Former Open Society Foundations president Patrick Gaspard is advising Mamdani and recently introduced him to Obama campaign architect David Axelrod at the candidate’s Manhattan headquarters, according to people familiar with the meetings. Obama phoned Mamdani after the primary win, while former White House aides Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer have also remained in contact with the campaign. The quiet show of establishment support contrasts with public hesitation from some leading Democrats. A Siena College survey this week found statewide New York voters viewed Mamdani unfavourably by 37% to 28%. Nationally, a Yahoo News–YouGov poll put his ratings at 31% negative, 22% positive, with nearly half of respondents saying they lacked enough information to judge him. Republicans have begun running ads tying Democratic congressional candidates to Mamdani, framing his agenda as emblematic of the party’s leftward drift. In New York, former governor Andrew Cuomo is said to be weighing an independent run that strategists believe could siphon votes from Mayor Eric Adams and inadvertently boost the socialist challenger. Whether Obama-world’s backing helps broaden Mamdani’s appeal—or deepens intra-party fissures—will become clearer as the campaign moves into the autumn.