Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy expressed profound relief after leaving New York City, following the election of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as the city’s next mayor. The outspoken media figure, who personally relocated to Florida in 2021, voiced strong disapproval of the political shift and its potential impact on the business environment of the Big Apple.
The Election and Mamdani’s Historic Win
On Tuesday, November 4, 2025, Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic State Assembly member from Queens, secured a decisive victory in the New York City mayoral election. Mamdani, who ran on an unapologetically progressive and democratic socialist platform, won with a strong mandate, garnering over 50% of the vote and defeating opponents including former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
- Mamdani’s victory was historic, making him the city’s first Muslim mayor, the first of South Asian heritage, and the youngest mayor in over a century when he takes office on January 1, 2026.
- His campaign was fueled by a grassroots movement centered on economic affordability, promising policies such as a rent freeze for stabilized apartments, fare-free public buses, universal childcare, and increased taxes on corporations and high-income earners. The race saw the highest turnout for a NYC mayoral election in decades, with over 2 million votes cast.
Portnoy’s Reaction and Corporate Considerations
Following Mamdani’s win, Portnoy took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his perspective. “If this is what the people of NYC want, then so be it. Thank God I don’t live there anymore,” he wrote.
Portnoy’s criticism of the incoming administration is not new. In July, during an appearance on Fox Business Network, the sports mogul blasted Mamdani as “one of the worst, scariest candidates,” labeling him a “communist” who “hates capitalism.” Portnoy also referenced Mamdani’s previously stated progressive goals, including the desire to “seize the means of production” and his critical stance on corporate interests.
The media head has already taken steps to distance his company, Barstool Sports, from the city, instructing his finance department to “start looking around for property” in areas like Hoboken or Jersey City, signaling a potential move for the company’s New York office.
The Florida Exodus: A Pre-Emptive Personal Move
Portnoy’s personal departure from New York precedes the election. In 2021, he purchased a multi-million dollar estate in the Florida Keys. The purchase of the waterfront compound in the village of Islamorada, acquired for $27.75 million, set a record for the highest property sale in the area. This personal move to a state with no state income tax highlights a broader trend among high-net-worth individuals seeking lower-tax environments, a factor often cited by critics of progressive tax policies like those proposed by Mayor-elect Mamdani. Portnoy’s relocation and his public discourse underscore the cultural and economic friction that New York’s new political direction has ignited among some in the business community.