Obama Backs Mamdani as Sliwa Visits the Rebbe's Ohel 

With just one day until New York City’s high-stakes mayoral election, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa made a symbolic visit to the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Ohel in Crown Heights, where he prayed and invoked a decades-old personal blessing, while firmly rejecting pleas from Jewish leaders to withdraw and unify behind former Governor Andrew Cuomo to block frontrunner Zohran Mamdani.

Sliwa, trailing in third place with single-digit support, arrived Saturday night at the gravesite, a global pilgrimage destination for Chabad-Lubavitch followers and non-Jews alike. He placed a traditional kvittel (prayer note) and later posted photos on X, writing: "My relationship with the Lubavitcher Rebbe is deeply personal. It began during the Crown Heights riots. After I defended the community, the Rebbe gave me two dollars for tzedakah and a blessing. One of those blessings saved my life during a shooting ... Now, as we enter the final and most difficult phase of this campaign, I am here at the Ohel to pray for strength, wisdom, and blessing to complete this journey meaningfully."

Sliwa met the Rebbe in the early 1990s during the Crown Heights riots, when he and members of his Guardian Angels group protected Jewish residents from anti-Semitic violence.

Jewish Leaders Urge Unity Against Mamdani

Before entering the Ohel, Sliwa was approached by Moshe Safran, president of the Jewish Teachers Union, who urged him to drop out and endorse Cuomo — the independent candidate polling in second place."We are afraid," Safran told Sliwa, citing fears of a Mamdani victory due to his anti-Israel stance and pro-Palestinian activism.

Sliwa initially responded that the decision rests with voters. When pressed again, he began walking away. An aide later said: "It’s too late now."

Polls show Mamdani leading with ~43%, followed by Cuomo (~28%) and Sliwa (~8%). With anti-Mamdani votes split, analysts say the socialist Democrat, a vocal supporter of BDS and critic of Israel’s Gaza operations, is on track to win.

Obama Privately Endorses Mamdani’s Campaign

In a separate development, former President Barack Obama held a 30-minute phone call with Mamdani, praising his campaign and offering ongoing strategic support, The New York Times reported.

Sources briefed on the conversation said Obama:

While Obama has avoided public local endorsements since leaving office, the call is seen as a major boost for Mamdani — particularly amid Democratic leadership’s distance from the DSA-aligned candidate. Mamdani later said he drew inspiration from Obama’s 2008 race speech when crafting his own recent address on "Islamophobia," a term critics say is used to shield radical Islamist rhetoric.Election Eve TensionsJewish voter anxiety is at a peak, with over 1,100 rabbis signing a letter warning Mamdani poses a "danger to Jewish safety"

Early voting has shattered records, with over 735,000 ballots cast by November 2

Turnout will likely decide the race in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans 7-to-1

Sliwa has vowed to stay in until the end, framing his campaign as a fight against "radical socialism and anti-Semitism." Cuomo, meanwhile, has ramped up attacks on Mamdani’s "globalize the intifada" rhetoric and refusal to condemn Hamas unequivocally.

Polls close Tuesday at 9:00 PM ET. Results expected by midnight.