Washington, DC [US], July 15 (ANI): The political feud between New York City’s Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and Republican leaders has escalated, with Ohio-based Republican Vivek Ramaswamy seizing on the controversy to boost his campaign for Governor of Ohio.
Ramaswamy, a staunch Trump ally and former co-head of the US Department of Government Efficiency alongside Elon Musk, announced his gubernatorial bid earlier this year. The Ohio governor’s election is slated for 2026.
In his latest salvo, Ramaswamy targeted Mamdani — who won the Democratic mayoral primary on July 1 — calling him a “radical socialist” and inviting New Yorkers fed up with his policies to move to Ohio. A digital billboard sponsored by Ramaswamy’s political action committee appeared in New York’s Times Square with the message: “Ready to Flee NYC? Move to Ohio!”
The biotech entrepreneur reposted the billboard image on X, declaring: “Capitalism defeats socialism. There’s a better way: move to Ohio.”
Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist and New York State Assembly member, is the son of Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair and Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani. His progressive platform and criticism of federal immigration enforcement have drawn fierce pushback from Republicans, including former President Donald Trump.
Earlier this month, Trump labelled Mamdani a “Communist Lunatic” and threatened to deport him if he obstructs Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in New York.
On Truth Social, Trump posted: “As President of the United States, I’m not going to let this Communist Lunatic destroy New York. Rest assured, I hold all the levers and have all the cards. I’ll save New York City and make it ‘Hot’ and ‘Great’ again, just like I did with the Good Ol’ USA!”
Mamdani responded defiantly, saying: “The President of the United States just threatened to have me arrested, stripped of my citizenship, put in a detention camp and deported. Not because I have broken any law but because I will refuse to let ICE terrorise our city.”
He added: “His statements don’t just represent an attack on our democracy but an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: if you speak up, they will come for you. We will not accept this intimidation.”
Mamdani officially clinched the Democratic mayoral primary after ranked-choice ballots were fully tabulated, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who conceded following the first-choice count.
Born in Uganda, Mamdani made history as the first South Asian man and only the third Muslim to serve in the New York State Assembly. His victory marks a milestone for representation and has ignited a heated debate over the direction of the city’s leadership.
(ANI)
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