Dave Portnoy Mulls NY City Mayoral Run Against Zohran Mamdani

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy said on a June 30, 2026 interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters that he is considering a run for New York City mayor to challenge Democratic Socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani. Portnoy expressed a sense of duty, claiming he could make a change and contrasting his “real job” experience with what he called “clown politicians.” He noted uncertainty about winning, citing unknown demographics, but said he has “a lot of people who like me in New York City” based on his work with the Barstool Fund and pizza reviews. The remarks were repeated across multiple outlets, quoting him: “I might run against Mamdani… I feel like I could make a change,” and “I’ve had a real job, I’ve done real things, unlike these clown politicians.” No campaign has been officially launched.