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FLORIDA - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that Florida could experience a wave of new residents from New York following the election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City’s new mayor.
During an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, DeSantis said New Yorkers were “shooting themselves in the foot” by electing Mamdani, whom he described as the city’s most liberal mayor in generations.
Mamdani, a Democratic socialist and former state assemblyman from Queens, defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa in a record turnout of more than two million voters.
His campaign focused on progressive initiatives such as free child care, fare-free bus service, city-run grocery stores, and the creation of a Department of Community Safety that would dispatch mental health professionals to certain emergencies instead of police officers.
DeSantis referenced Mamdani’s previous comments about defunding the New York Police Department and said declining public safety often motivates people to leave large cities.
He also noted that Florida now has 1.4 million more registered Republicans than Democrats, compared to a Democratic advantage when he first took office.
A JL Partners poll found that 9 percent of New Yorkers said they would “definitely” leave the city if Mamdani were elected, and another 25 percent said they would consider moving.
Miami real estate agents reported rising interest from New Yorkers concerned about higher taxes and public safety under the new administration.