Mamdani and Obama also have this in common

Politico

3 days ago

With help from Amira McKee
A changing of the guard. An invigorated youth vote. A foreign-sounding name.
Zohran Mamdani's rise to prominence echoes Barack Obama's barrier-breaking 2008 presidenti
al campaign in many ways — as Al Sharpton, Letitia James and other Democrats have noted — albeit on a much smaller political battlefield.
But Obama and Mamdani also have the common experience of being Donald Trump's bogeyman.
Years ago, Trump promulgated the conspiracy theory that Obama, a Hawaii native, wasn't born in the United States. Now, as president, he's questioning Mamdani's citizenship and labeling him a communist, though the Uganda-born Democratic mayoral nominee is a naturalized U.S. citizen and a democratic socialist.
Mamdani confirmed Thursday to reporters that Obama called him after his stunning June primary win to offer him guidance on leading in a harsh political climate.
The two Democrats discussed the role of hope, the animating theme behind the momentous campaign that made Obama the country's first Black president, Mamdani said. Their conversation was first reported this week by the New York Times.
'We spoke about the importance in a moment such as this, where politics is often characterized by a language of darkness, the necessity of hope in how we speak and how we orient ourselves to the world,' Mamdani said Thursday at a campaign stop in the Bronx.
Mamdani is poised to come into power opposite the MAGA president in a political landscape far more divided and partisan than it was two decades ago.
The young state lawmaker has sought to make Trump a target in his general election campaign, embarking on a 'Five Boroughs Against Trump' tour and linking his top competitor in the race — former Gov. Andrew Cuomo — to the president.
'Calling President Obama a Muslim, a socialist, not born here and somehow un-American, none of that was true,' independent political analyst J.C. Polanco told Playbook of Trump. 'Mamdani, on the other hand, actually fits that mold. He is Muslim, a socialist, born in Africa, and his name is not exactly Tom, Dick or Harry, easy fodder for those focused on otherizing.'
Mamdani, if elected, will have to face off against Trump far more directly than Obama did, especially as the president threatens federal funding cuts to New York City and vows to arrest Mamdani if he interferes with deportation efforts.
'Mamdani will likely take office as mayor when Trump has been at his most authoritarian, whereas Obama intentionally only weighs in selectively during Trump's presidencies,' Democratic strategist Trip Yang told Playbook.
At his anti-Trump tour's Staten Island stop on Wednesday, Mamdani faced jeering protesters in the only borough Trump has won in each of the past three presidential elections.
The candidate remarked Thursday that it was a sign of the political times.
'I had to walk through a number of New Yorkers who told me to go back where I came from,' Mamdani said. 'I know that those New Yorkers are representative just of themselves. And yet, sadly, that is what politics has become for far too many.' — Emily Ngo
HAPPY FRIDAY, and a bittersweet farewell to POLITICO New York intern Amira McKee, whose work on Playbook and more has been invaluable all summer long. Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
WHERE'S KATHY? In New York City with no public schedule.
WHERE'S ERIC? Schedule unavailable as of 10 p.m. Thursday.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'There is only one candidate in this race who is standing up to a corporate-dominated politics driven by billionaires. That candidate is @ZohranKMamdani. And I am proud to support him.' — Sen. Bernie Sanders in an X post responding to Andrew Cuomo's video bragging he's the only candidate who passed a bill supported by Sanders, lowering college tuition costs for certain New Yorkers.
ABOVE THE FOLD
LYNCH TO THE CAMPAIGN: A close adviser to Gov. Kathy Hochul will depart the administration next month to join the reelection campaign, POLITICO Pro exclusively reports this morning.
Chief of Staff Stacy Lynch is set to leave after Labor Day, according to the governor's office. Lynch will serve as a senior adviser to Hochul's campaign effort as the governor runs for a second full term next year.
'I am extremely fortunate to have had Stacy Lynch serve as my Chief of Staff for the past three years, and I am grateful she will continue to advise my campaign going forward,' Hochul said. 'Stacy leaves our administration and our state stronger, and I am deeply thankful for her leadership, partnership, and friendship.'
Hochul credited Lynch with helping negotiate state budgets and rent relief for New York City Housing Authority tenants, bolstering New York's response to the migrant crisis and leading an investment in the SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Lynch also established the state Office of Faith and Nonprofit Development.
'After three years in the New York State Executive Chamber, I will conclude my service as chief of staff and join Gov. Hochul's reelection campaign,' Lynch said in a statement. 'I am grateful to Governor Hochul for her friendship, trust, clarity of purpose, and the support she gives me to do the work, and I am excited to get to work helping her win re-election in 2026.'
The departure comes as the governor is preparing for a challenging 2026. Federal cuts to the state are expected to widen a budget gap that's already projected to be $7.5 billion. Her potential Republican opponent, Rep. Elise Stefanik, has wasted little time attacking the governor this summer on a variety of issues, including public safety.
'Stacy Lynch is an extraordinary asset to any team: smart, strategic, and deeply connected to the communities she serves,' said Hochul campaign manager Preston Elliott. 'Bringing her on as senior political advisor is a win — not just for our campaign, but for the people of New York. With Stacy's help and Governor Hochul's leadership, we will inspire voters and chart a path to a safer, more affordable New York.' — Nick Reisman
CITY HALL: THE LATEST
A LIST CAUSE: Cuomo said Thursday he would not release a list of clients who paid his legal consulting firm, Innovation Strategies, during his time out of the public eye.
During a Thursday press briefing, the independent mayoral candidate flatly declined to publicize his client roster, continuing a posture he has held since the primary, as POLITICO previously reported.
'They were private clients, and there's an attorney-client privilege,' Cuomo said. 'But there was no representation before any city government or state government.'
As governor, Cuomo pursued new ethics rules that mandated the disclosure of legal clients who paid state legislators and sought to limit exemptions for attorney-client privilege.
And while he has said he did not advocate for clients before local governments, a Bloomberg report found that the former state executive worked as a paid adviser to a cryptocurrency exchange facing a federal investigation.
A separate report in POLITICO also found Cuomo failed to disclose millions of dollars in stock options from a nuclear technology company he received via his consulting company as compensation for being on the firm's advisory board.
The client list has become part of a back and forth between Cuomo and frontrunner Mamdani, whose rent-regulated apartment paperwork has been sought by Team Cuomo. — Joe Anuta
CUO OUT EAST: Cuomo's going back to the Hamptons this weekend where he'll attend a fundraiser hosted by Andrew Stein — weeks after the former New York City Council president briefed his longtime friend Trump on the mayoral race and pitched Cuomo as the strongest candidate to defeat Mamdani, as The New York Times reported.
Stein and his brother, media executive Jimmy Finkelstein, are among the hosts of a Saturday night Cuomo fundraiser in Southampton, according to an invitation reviewed by Playbook. Also co-hosting is Finkelstein's wife Pamela Gross, a close friend of Melania Trump who held an unpaid White House role advising the first lady.
And tonight, Cuomo's raising bucks in Bridgehampton where the host list includes billionaire investor Greg Hymowitz and his wife Marcella. She previously donated $150,000 to pro-Cuomo super PAC Fix the City.
Cuomo has made a habit of the Hamptons, spending at least three other weekends out east since losing the primary. After all — it's where the money is. And Cuomo's allies have been trying to convince people with second homes to switch their voter registration back to the city, the Post reported.
Cuomo's campaign declined to comment on the fundraisers. — Jeff Coltin
TURKEY DAY: Erden Arkan, the Turkey-born construction company owner who pleaded guilty to giving straw donations to Adams, is due to be sentenced in Manhattan federal court at 11 a.m. today. He's hoping to get no prison time for the scheme, Playbook reported.
More from the city:
— The NYPD allows unlicensed psychologists to perform assessments that can cost would-be cops their jobs. (City & State)
— Chinatown residents confront the city over 'Megajail' designs at the first public workshop. (Documented)
— Mamdani could learn valuable lessons on city-run grocery stories by looking at the struggles of municipal broadband ventures. (Vital City)
NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY
REDISTRICT THE VOTE: Erasing New York's independent redistricting commission may not pass muster with voters.
A survey of deep blue California found voters by a nearly two-to-one margin prefer an independent panel drawing House boundaries. The result comes as Hochul, in response to red state redistricting efforts, said this month she would support disbanding the voter-created independent commission in charge of New York's House maps.
The poll is heartening to supporters of the commission — namely political activists on the right and nonpartisan government watchdog groups — that oppose partisan redistricting.
'We believe the more independent a commission is, the better off the public is,' Conservative Party Chair Gerard Kassar told Playbook.
Kassar's group backed a successful effort to sink a 2021 state constitutional amendment that would have weakened the commission. He expects a similar campaign will be run if state lawmakers propose a constitutional change to end the independent commission.
'Money plays a role and I'm hopeful we'll be able to come up with the resources to bring the case to the public and I anticipate we'll win,' he said. — Nick Reisman
More from Albany:
— Environmental lawyers slammed the Department of Transportation's climate policy. (POLITICO Pro)
— Hochul says Mamdani needs a reset with the NYPD. (NY1)
— Regulators approved rate hikes for two upstate utilities. (POLITICO Pro)
KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION
CORNERED: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is raring to discuss the Republican megabill cutting social services on national TV. He's far less eager to answer questions about Mamdani, the candidate heavily favored to become the next mayor of Jeffries' hometown.
CNBC hosts hammered Jeffries with questions Thursday about Mamdani, his proposals, including freezing rents, and the race for mayor — until the top House Democrat grew visibly frustrated.
'I'm trying to understand why you would spend a significant amount of time asking me about the Democratic nominee who's not even the mayor,' Jeffries said when asked about free market advocacy versus democratic socialism, saying it's Trump 'who is regularly attacking the free market economy, bullying corporations, bullying universities, bullying law firms.'
Jeffries and Mamdani met last month in Brooklyn, but Jeffries is among the Democratic leaders who have yet to endorse the party's pick for mayor.
In the CNBC interview, the minority leader commended Mamdani's focus on lowering living costs, but he indicated that he believes Mamdani still has work to win over more voters in November.
'He ran a strong race in the primary, obviously, relentlessly focused on affordability, which is a big problem,' Jeffries said. 'But now during the general election, he's going to have to demonstrate to a broader electorate, including in many of the neighborhoods that I represent in Brooklyn, that his ideas can actually be put into reality.' — Emily Ngo
More from Congress:
— Congress is lukewarm on RFK Jr.'s plans. In the states, they're catching fire. (POLITICO)
— The Democratic National Committee will consider two Gaza-related resolutions at its meeting this month. (Semafor)
— Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's fictional Long Island family, the Baileys: A joke, or tribute to the overlooked voter? (Newsday)
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
— So-called 'zombie debts' can haunt New Yorkers for decades. (New York Focus)
— The Buffalo mayor and city comptroller are in a standoff over a bonding dispute. (Buffalo News)
— Faith leaders held a jailhouse vigil in response to Nassau County's ICE policy. (Newsday)
SOCIAL DATA
MEDIAWATCH: New York City Council Member Carmen De La Rosa introduced a resolution Thursday condemning the owner of the New York Daily News and calling on private Alden Global Capital to reach a deal with its reporters union. 'New York's Hometown Paper' has been fighting for a contract for more than four years.
MAKING MOVES: Jack Lobel is now press secretary to City Council Member Julie Menin. He was previously a special assistant to Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and press secretary for Voters of Tomorrow.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Brian Romero, chief of staff to state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez … former state Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer … DGA Group's Ryan Toohey … Parkside's Jake Herring … Tiana Betancourt … C&V's Lauren George … Gil Quiniones … Rachel Haot … Jorge Fanjul … Puck's Leigh Ann Caldwell … Devin O'Malley … MSNBC's Richard Hudock … ABC's Mariam Khan … Kevin Hall … AP's Juliet Linderman … Larry Cohen … (WAS THURSDAY): Jay Horwitz (8-0) … David Samson … Carol Levin … Ester R. Fuchs … Raphaela Neihausen
Missed Thursday's New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.