Kamala’s Not Running, Mamdani Deflects on Defunding Police, Hegseth Eyeing 2026 Campaign?

Join Jim and Greg for the Thursday 3 Martini Lunch, as they welcome the news that former Vice President Kamala Harris will not run for governor of California in 2026. They also discuss New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani attempting to downplay his past calls to defund the police, and whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth might be eyeing a future political campaign.

First, they're glad to see Kamala Harris choose not to enter next year's governor’s race, especially since she reportedly had little interest in actually doing the job. They also discuss whether she’s likely to pursue another presidential campaign in 2028 and what the California governor’s race looks like without Harris in the field.

Next, Jim and Greg focus on Mamdani’s effort to distance himself from his long-held “defund the police” stance following this week’s horrific mass shooting in Manhattan. They’re also frustrated by polling that shows Mamdani likely to win the New York City mayoral race, regardless of how the rest of the field shakes out. Jim also slams a Politico article that dismisses criticism of Mamdani’s Marxist ideology as “Mamdani Derangement Syndrome.”

Finally, they consider reports that Sec. Hegseth might be thinking about leaving his cabinet position to run for political office in Tennessee. Jim and Greg both find this far-fetched, considering the huge goals Hegseth is pursuing for our military and because there's not much he could run for in Tennessee anytime soon.