Dave Portnoy Reacts to Zoran Mamdani’s Mayoral Win

Zoran Mamdani triumphed in Tuesday’s New York City mayoral election, but it seems Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy isn’t too thrilled about it.

Earlier last month, Portnoy mentioned that he had communicated with his company’s financial representative regarding the potential relocation of Barstool from New York. He urged him to “start looking for a property.”

“Honestly, I thought a lot about moving to Hoboken or Jersey City or something,” Portnoy shared during a live stream. “I just don’t want an office in Manhattan.”

The 34-year-old Democratic Socialist Mamdani is set to take office in January, and Portnoy appeared to accept the outcome with a bit of indifference the day after the election. “If this is what the people of New York City want, then—that’s fine. Thankfully, I don’t live there anymore,” he remarked.

In an earlier interview, Portnoy labeled Mamdani a “communist” and expressed alarm about his candidacy, calling him “one of the worst, most terrifying candidates.” He criticized Mamdani’s views, which he claims are anti-capitalist and seek to fundamentally alter the values that the country upholds.

Portnoy further accused Mamdani of aligning too closely with certain narratives, referencing the Boston Marathon bombing and questioning Mamdani’s focus on legal procedures over the victims. “His reaction to that was, ‘Why didn’t the police read the rights of this man when he was sitting on the boat?’ It’s striking how someone from the city where 9/11 happened would prioritize that perspective,” Portnoy said.

Mamdani managed to secure his win despite the competition from former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.