Carville says Mamdani victory not bellwether, warns NYC is ‘not the center of the political universe’

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville cautioned Democrats against seeing New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s victory as a bellwether for the country during a new podcast appearance.

While the Democratic Party has been in flux since Kamala Harris’ loss to President Donald Trump, recent victories by both moderate and progressive candidates have given mixed messages about the party’s path of victory moving forward. During an appearance on “The Daily Beast Podcast” published Monday, Carville was asked by host Joanna Coles about the future of the Democratic Party.

“So, let’s do a little unwrapping here,” he said. “The mayor of New York has never been a figure in national politics. Let me repeat, the mayor of New York, who’s never been much of a figure in national politics.”

Carville, who has criticized Mamdani in the past, cited multiple major changes happening in politics, mockingly noting that, by contrast, the view of many people is, “But we must talk about Mamdani because New York is the center of the universe, that nothing else exists in the United States but New York.

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James Carville has criticized Zohran Mamdani before but has also said the Democratic Party needs to embrace a more economically populist message. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Politicon)

“In fact, the city of New York is not a very — it’s a big player in finance. It’s a big player in theater. It’s a big player in advertising. It’s a big player in creativity. It is one of my favorite cities in the entire world. In fact, I’m going there tomorrow, I can’t wait. But you’re not the center of the political universe. You’re just not. You’re not even a swing place. If it wouldn’t be for your money, politicians wouldn’t much care about you.”

“I’m deducting from that you’re saying the future of the Democratic Party is going to be moderate?” Cole asked.

Carville argued that, right now, the Democratic Party does not have a message so much as it has an argument that Republicans must be stopped. 

“The only way that you’re going to have a message is Democratic voters are going to pick their presidential nominee,” he said.

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Political commentator James Carville (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Now, what we do know for a fact that in this century — now I may be 72, but maybe not even then — but the Democrats never picked the most left candidate. Ever,” Carville said, mocking the idea that Mamdani represents where Democrats across the country are politically. “Right now that gets in the way of the storyline, right? Because New York has to be central to the story, right?”

When Cole continued to share data about the turnout for Mamdani, arguing the election of a democratic socialist was significant, Carville replied, “That’s great, that’s great. It’s New York City. It’s not anything else.” He added, “I tell you that you’re not the center of the political universe in the United States.”

“Well that’s very disappointing to me,” the host joked. “This is a brutal Monday morning.”

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Democratic strategist James Carville and New York City’s next mayor, Zohran Mamdani. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SCAD; Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

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