James Carville warns Democratic socialists: ‘This is a bridge too far’
Democratic strategist James Carville expresses strong disapproval of socialist influence within the Democratic Party. He clarifies his stance on candidates like Darializa Avila Chevalier, saying he has nothing in common with candidates who want to get rid of prisons. Carville urges the Democratic Party to stand up to radical socialist agendas, emphasizing that some positions are ‘a bridge too far’ for the party’s core values.
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Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville is sounding the alarm regarding one of New York City’s congressional primary winners, calling her socialist views a “bridge too far.”
In an interview with ’ Kayleigh McEnany on “Saturday in America,” Carville blasted Darializa Avila Chevalier just days after her upset victory over incumbent Representative Adriano Espaillat in the Big Apple’s 13th congressional District.
“I don’t think that the congressional Democrats should seat her as a member of the Democratic Party — she actually describes herself as a democratic socialist,” Carville said. “I don’t have anything in common with someone that says that they’re against interracial dating or doesn’t want to have any incarceration for convicted felons.”
Carville argued that, if elected, Democrats should allow Chevalier, who was backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, to serve as a democratic socialist — instead of absorbing her into the party.
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James Carville speaks onstage during the Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid! Q&A at the 27th SCAD Savannah Film Festival in Savannah, Ga., on Oct. 31, 2024. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SCAD)
“You can’t kick her out of Congress, she was voted [in],” Carville said. “But she doesn’t have to be in a Democratic caucus.”
He then pointed to the wide definition of socialism throughout the United States and other countries, adding that he is more aligned with the traditional side of the Democratic Party.
“These are the kind of Democrats that I want to help and be a part of the same party,” Carville said. “I don’t have anything in common with Ms. Chevalier, and I really don’t want to be in the same party she’s in.”
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Darializa Avila Chevalier, U.S. Democratic House candidate for New York, speaks at a Get Out The Vote rally at Kings Theater in Brooklyn, New York, on June 18, 2026, ahead of the state’s primary election on June 23. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The veteran strategist added that Chevalier’s strident views could be a bit too far left for the majority of the party.
“I just can’t see how she can be part of the same coalition that we’re all part of. And I understand that in a coalition, you have to have a lot of slack in your line because not everybody’s going to agree with me.”
“But this is a bridge too far. That’s the only way I can put it — and a bridge I don’t want to cross. I think a lot of Democrats feel the same way that I do.”
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Darializa Avila Chevalier, Democratic candidate for Congress in New York’s 13th Congressional District, speaks with a voter in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan on June 14, 2026, in New York, N.Y. (Shuran Huang/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
McEnany went on to point to several previous incidents in which Chevalier has recently come under fire — including now-deleted social media posts in which she blasted former President Joe Biden and said she used the American flag as a napkin to wipe her hands.
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Congressional candidate Claire Valdez, Congressional candidate Brad Lander, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and Congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier raise their hands during a Get Out the Vote (GOTV) rally at King’s Theater on June 18, 2026 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
“It’s wild,” Carville told McEnany. “You don’t need to convince me. That’s one thing that you and I are in the same place, I promise you.”
Carville also pointed to several congressional Democrats — including Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. — who have spoken out to say they are not aligned with Chevalier’s views or those of other Democratic socialist candidates.
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“I think the Democrats need to stand up and say, ‘This is not who we are. We do not determine who you can date or not date. That is your own business,’ Carville said, pointing to Chevalier’s past remarks against interracial relationships.
“That’s not my business. That’s never been any of my business, it’s certainly not now,” he added. ” And I just think that that’s not why most people are Democrats. We’re Democrats because we don’t hate anybody.”
Digital reached out to Avila Chevalier for comment.
