Local Republican leaders prepare for NYC exodus if Mamdani wins

Republican leaders teased plans in anticipation of an influx of New Yorkers moving in, should Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani win the New York City mayoral election.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) seemingly welcomed Mamdani’s victory in a post that implied Florida real estate could benefit from New York City residents. Florida is already a popular state to move to, as its population grew by 2% between 2023 and 2024, with the state gaining 467,347 residents, per the Census Bureau.

“Mamdani is going to be realtor of the year in way more places than Palm Beach if he wins,” DeSantis wrote on X Tuesday in the hours before the election was called.

A user asked DeSantis, “Where do you plan to place the New York City refugees?”

The governor suggested, “Southern Connecticut?”

However, DeSantis’s press secretary, Christina Pushaw, appeared less eager to welcome New Yorkers, suggesting it was “time for Florida to build the moats” on Tuesday.

Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer boasted his city’s “low taxes” to encourage new residents to move there.

“The @CityBocaRaton has been laser-focused on attracting job innovators and entrepreneurs for years who are looking for low taxes, a talented workforce, and our unmatched quality of life,” he wrote on X Tuesday.

Singer elaborated on the highlights of Boca Raton in a statement to the Washington Examiner.

“Boca Raton’s low tax rates, strong talent base, and unmatched quality of life have attracted job creators and innovators for years,” Singer said. “We have Class-A offices for business leaders and continue to receive many inquiries and expect more, as New York faces tax hikes and public safety concerns that contrast our safe community with the lowest property tax rate of any full-service city in Florida.”

Meanwhile, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) made it clear that New Yorkers would be less welcome in Texas.

“After the polls close tomorrow night, I will impose a 100% tariff on anyone moving to Texas from NYC,” Abbott wrote on X.

Abbott’s post followed Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) warm welcome to “friends in New York who are not communists” from months ago.

“Come to Texas!” Cruz wrote on X. “We love freedom & we’re not nuts.”

DESANTIS PUTS CUOMO ON ALERT ABOUT MOVING TO FLORIDA: ‘DON’T NEW YORK OUR FLORIDA’

A poll from the Daily Mail found that 9% of New Yorkers would “definitely” move away if Mamdani won the election. With New York City’s large population, that would equate to roughly 765,000 people. Among them is former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running against Mamdani as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to him in June.

The Washington Examiner has reached out to DeSantis and Abbott for comment.