Former Democratic President Barack Obama called New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani Saturday and offered to be a “sounding board” if the 34-year-old frontrunner wins the election. He also praised Mamdani's campaign.

The call, first reported by the New York Times, was confirmed by Mamdani’s spokesperson.

"Zohran Mamdani appreciated President Obama’s words of support and their conversation on the importance of bringing a new kind of politics to our city,” said Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec.

Mamdani, a Uganda-born state assembly member, has polled well ahead of his main rival, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, ahead of the November 4 general election.

Cuomo is running as an independent after losing to Mamdani in the Democratic primary. Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa is the Republican nominee.

Mamdani shocked political observers on June 24 with a convincing victory in the primary. Since then, his candidacy has won endorsements from party holdouts such as former Vice President Kamala Harris and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and he has received a steady stream of financial backing from small donors.

Mamdani's policies range from hiking taxes on New York City's wealthiest, raising the corporation tax, freezing stabilized apartment rental rates and increasing publicly subsidized housing, raising worries among the finance community that the city's competitiveness will suffer.

His rise presents both risks and rewards for the national Democratic Party, which acknowledges the need to appeal to young voters but could become more vulnerable to Republican attacks due to Mamdani’s criticism of Israel and his Democratic socialism.

On Saturday, Obama rallied alongside New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill, who is competing in a closely contested race against Republican Jack Ciattarelli. He also attended a rally for Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger.

Obama touted Democratic candidates for governor in two states at campaign rallies, urging voters in next week's election to reject what he called the “lawlessness and recklessness” of President Donald Trump's administration.

“Let’s face it, our country and our policy are in a pretty dark place right now,” Obama told a roaring crowd of Spanberger supporters at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

"It’s hard to know where to start." he said, "because every day this White House offers people a fresh batch of lawlessness and recklessness and mean-spiritedness and just plain craziness.”

Obama blasted what he called Trump’s “shambolic” tariff policy and deployment of National Guard troops to U.S. cities. He criticized Republicans in Congress for failing to check Trump “even when they know he’s out of line.”

He said he was surprised at how quickly business leaders, law firms and universities opted to “bend the knee” to appease Trump.

Later Saturday at an event in Newark, New Jersey to support Sherrill, Obama struck many of the same themes as he continued his criticisms of the Trump White House. "It’s like every day is Halloween, except it’s all tricks and no treats,” Obama.

The former president occasionally dipped into sarcasm in mentioning Trump decisions such as remodeling parts of the White House even as a federal shutdown continues.

"In fairness he has been focused on some critical issues, like paving over the Rose Garden so folks don’t get mud on their shoes, and building a $300 million ballroom," Obama said.