New York City’s political landscape has taken another sharp turn left, and now an unexpected name is asking whether he should step into the arena himself.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy said Monday that he has started reconsidering his long-standing position that he would stay away from politics, suggesting that the direction of the city has him thinking about a possible run against Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani.
🚨 BREAKING! Barstool’s Dave Portnoy says he MIGHT RUN for ELECTION 🚨
“I might run against Mamdani… I feel like I could make a change.” 🔥
“I’ve had a real job, I’ve done real things, unlike these clown politicians who have never had a job” 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ANA1QvtMke
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) June 30, 2026
Portnoy appeared on Fox News’ Jesse Watters Primetime after a series of victories by candidates backed by Mamdani raised concerns that New York’s Democratic establishment is moving further toward the progressive left.
Watters asked Portnoy what he would do in response to the political changes happening in the city.
“I’ve always thought I would never get involved in politics, but I think you can do more in the private sector,” Portnoy said. “What is going on has actually made me pause that thought.”
Portnoy referenced the famous idea attributed to Plato that citizens who avoid public service can end up governed by those less capable of leading.
“Right now I feel like that’s what’s happening,” Portnoy said.
He argued that many voters have become disconnected from local elections and warned that New York’s political direction could have serious consequences.
“I think what the Democrats have done is they’ve let the fox into the henhouse,” Portnoy said.
Portnoy described the current moment as troubling for residents who are watching crime, affordability, and quality-of-life concerns dominate conversations about the city.
“It’s a scary time to live in New York,” he said.
When asked whether he would consider challenging Mamdani directly, Portnoy said that would be the race he would look at.
“If I was going to run, it would be here,” he said.
But Portnoy acknowledged that winning would be a major challenge.
“Can I win here? I have no idea,” he said.
He pointed to his years of public-facing work in New York, including charitable efforts and business ventures, as reasons he believes he has a connection with city residents.
“There’s a lot of people who like me in New York City,” Portnoy said. “I’ve done a lot of good in New York City when I wasn’t thinking about politics, whether it was the Barstool Fund, pizza places. So, it wasn’t for show.”
Portnoy also criticized career politicians, saying he believes many have little connection to ordinary working Americans.
“I’ve had a real job. I’ve done real things unlike these clown politicians who have never had a job and never been in the real world for a day,” he said.
New York has always been a fascinating political laboratory.
It’s the city that can produce Wall Street billionaires, Hollywood celebrities, working-class neighborhoods, and a government that sometimes seems determined to test just how much people will tolerate before they say, “Enough.”
Now Dave Portnoy — a guy who built a media empire, created a massive audience, and became famous by talking directly to people instead of waiting for approval from the usual gatekeepers — is looking at politics and saying, “Maybe somebody needs to get in the game.”
That alone tells you something.
For years, a lot of Americans have watched politics become a closed club. The same consultants, the same talking points, the same people who have never punched a time clock explaining how everyone else should live.
Portnoy’s argument is basically that the people making decisions need to actually understand the people living with those decisions.
And that’s the frustration you’re seeing across the country. The political class says everything is fine. The voters say, “Have you looked outside lately?”
Now, does being successful in business automatically mean someone can run a government? No. Different skill sets. Different challenges.
But the idea that only professional politicians are qualified to serve is exactly what more and more voters are rejecting.
The establishment has spent years telling outsiders to stay in their lane. Then they act shocked when outsiders start asking why the lane is blocked.
New York will decide what it wants. But the fact that someone like Dave Portnoy is even seriously considering a run tells you there is a hunger for something different.
