NEW ORLEANS, June 27 (DC Times Online) — James Carville said Democrats may need a formal split and said he could not be in the same party as Darializa Avila Chevalier, a candidate described in reports as backed by Zohran Mamdani, after New York primary wins by candidates tied to the party’s left flank.
On a Politicon podcast appearance, Carville said it was time for Democrats to talk about “the ‘s’ word: schism,” adding, “I really do.” He also suggested Democrats could “negotiate the terms of a schism” and told critics to “Start your own movement” or “Form your own party.”
Carville singled out Avila Chevalier and said he was “not in the same party” with her. He also said he did not want to be in a party that denies Israel’s right to exist.
The remarks followed New York primary wins by candidates described in the reports as aligned with Mamdani, including Avila Chevalier. Carville said the divide inside the Democratic Party had become large enough that some members should separate rather than remain under the same banner.
Carville had made a similar warning in a New York Times op-ed last year, when he said Democrats were moving toward a “civilized civil war” that he called “necessary,” but said should wait until after the 2026 midterm elections.
