Dave Portnoy says he’s losing his mind over New York leadership. So he’s considering a run against ‘clown politicians’ like Zohran Mamdani

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy said he is considering a run for elected office in New York City, citing his frustrations with current city leadership. Portnoy said he would “love to run against” Mayor Zohran Mamdani if he decided to enter politics.

Portnoy made the comments during an appearance on Jesse Watters Primetime on Monday night, according to the New York Post. He told host Jesse Watters that he previously believed he “would never get involved in politics,” but said the prospect of being governed by what he called “dummies” has caused him to reconsider.

“I spend a lot of my day losing my mind with what’s happening, especially in New York,” Portnoy said on the show. Portnoy also criticized the Democratic Party during the interview, pointing to a series of recent primary wins by left-leaning candidates

Portnoy criticizes Democratic Party amid recent primary wins by left-leaning candidates

Three congressional candidates backed by Mamdani won their primaries last Tuesday, defeating their establishment Democratic opponents in those races, per NY Post. “What the Democrats have done is they’ve let the fox into the hen house. And now he’s just running rampant and kicking them all out,” Portnoy said, in what was described as a veiled reference to Mamdani. These primary wins follow Mamdani’s own path to becoming mayor, a race that involved attempts by efforts to push rivals from the race by figures opposed to his candidacy. 

Portnoy indicated that his interest in running for office fluctuates depending on the day. He said there are times when he has no desire to get involved in what he called the “mess” of politics. On other days, according to Portnoy, a sense of civic duty takes over. “Sometimes, I do feel like it’s my duty. I can’t turn away. I feel like I could make a change. Maybe I do run in politics,” he said. 

When discussing his qualifications for elected office, Portnoy said he has held “a real job” and has “done real things.” He contrasted this with what he described as career politicians, saying, “Unlike these clown politicians who have never had a job and who’ve never been in the real world for a day.”

Portnoy, who is a Massachusetts resident, said he was uncertain whether he would be successful if he ran for office in New York City. “Can I win here? I don’t know. I don’t know the demographics, if I could get enough votes,” he told Watters. He added that he believes he has some level of support in the city. “There’s a lot of people who like me in New York City. I know that,” Portnoy said. Mamdani’s working relationship with the Trump administration has drawn attention since he took office, with reports describing his relationship with President Trump as direct despite policy disagreements between the two.