DeSantis jokes about looming NYC exodus as Democratic socialist leads mayoral polls
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently commented on the shifting political landscape in New York City, joking that an increasing number of New Yorkers might move to Florida in light of the rising popularity of candidate Zohran Mamdani, a self-identified Democratic socialist, in the cityS mayoral polls. Mamdani has reportedly overtaken former Governor Andrew Cuomo in polling for the Democratic primary. DeSantis’s remark highlights a trend of New Yorkers relocating to Florida, with over 125,000 residents having moved there from New York between 2018 and 2022, largely due to high taxes and the desire for a more favorable climate. While Mamdani’s campaign views the polling as a sign of growing grassroots support, critics express concern that his leftist policies may further drive residents from the city.
DeSantis jokes about looming NYC exodus as Democratic socialist leads mayoral polls
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) took a swipe at New York City’s political future on Monday, joking that more New Yorkers could head south after support for a self-described Democratic socialist surged in the city’s latest mayoral poll.
“Just when you thought Palm Beach real estate couldn’t go any higher …” DeSantis quipped on X, reacting to a new poll showing state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani — a member of the Democratic Socialists of America — overtaking former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the city’s ranked choice Democratic primary for mayor.
Mamdani, a progressive firebrand from Queens, edged past Cuomo in the eighth round of simulated ranked choice voting, according to an Emerson College Polling/Pix11/the Hill survey released Monday. The results have sent shockwaves through the city’s political establishment — and seemingly southward.
The reactions on social media were swift and alarmed.
“Yep. Totally doomed,” Washington Examiner senior writer Joe Concha said.
Yep. Totally doomed. https://t.co/LfRPA19gI7
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) June 23, 2025
“Zohran Mamdani has announced he wants to implement government-owned supermarkets in NYC. He is literally trying to implement communism in New York. New Yorkers need to get out to vote,” activist Eyal Yakoby added on X.
“God help us,” New York Post columnist Miranda Devine said in reaction to the poll.
DeSantis’s remark tapped into a well-established trend: New Yorkers fleeing the Empire State for lower taxes and warmer weather in Florida. Between 2018 and 2022, more than 125,000 New York residents moved to Florida, taking nearly $14 billion in adjusted gross income with them, according to the Citizens Budget Commission. Roughly a third of those transplants settled in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Broward counties.
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The U.S. Census Bureau confirmed the broader migration. Florida gained more than 63,000 New Yorkers in a single year, contributing to a net loss of 244,000 residents from New York in 2022 alone. Since 2010, the state has lost more than 1.2 million residents to domestic out-migration, with many citing crime, cost of living, and political leadership.
While Mamdani’s campaign celebrated the poll as evidence of a surging grassroots movement, critics have warned it could accelerate the exodus from the city.
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