Republican leader and ex-DOGE head Vivek Ramaswamy has stepped up his criticism of New York City mayoral contender Zohran Mamdani, warning that the city’s identity could be lost under the “radical left” if Mamdani is elected. Ramaswamy, who is running for governor of Ohio in 2026, claimed that cities like New York are driving away the American spirit — and Ohio could be its next home.“I moved to NYC after I graduated college in 2007 because it was a place that still celebrated success, but that spirit receded in New York & soon could be gone altogether due to Mamdani,” Ramaswamy posted on X. “We’re reviving that American Dream in a new place: Ohio. The revival starts next November.”The 38-year-old former biotech executive, who recently resigned from the Department of Government Efficiency to contest Ohio’s gubernatorial race, has leaned into cultural and ideological differences between blue cities and red states as a core campaign message.Earlier this week, Ramaswamy’s super PAC, Victors Not Victims, funded a giant billboard in Times Square with the message: “Worried About Zohran? Ohio Is Waiting For You!” It contrasted Mamdani, labelled a “radical socialist”, with Ramaswamy, “protecting freedom”.Critics have focused on Mamdani’s Ugandan-Indian background, however, Ramaswamy issued a public note urging restraint. “The real problem with Mamdani isn’t his race or religion. It’s his anti-capitalist worldview and his policies that risk destroying our nation’s largest city,” he wrote in a New York Post op-ed.In the same article, he revealed how he too had been the subject of ethnic slurs online. “Each time I post a photo, I’m asked to ‘GO HOME’.He warned that if Mamdani were to lead New York, more residents would flee for cities that offer “a better model of American excellence”.Vivek dismissed criminal activity and urged Americans to unite under what he called an ambitious and American spirit. “But that’s not who we are. The rule of law unites us as Americans. We don’t commit crimes — that’s what unites us.”“The beauty of the United States, is that even if people leave, they can still head to my home state Ohio and celebrate an American spirit, ” he said in a Fox news interview.Ramaswamy’s campaign is widely seen as one of the most well-funded early bids for a 2026 governor’s race, with his PAC already having raised $17 million.
