Ron DeSantis Predicts NYC Cops Will Flee to Florida if Zohran Mamdani Wins
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Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has predicted that New York City could see an exodus of police officers relocating to Florida if Zohran Mamdani wins the city's mayoral election this November.
Why It Matters
The comments by DeSantis come as New York City grapples with ongoing debates over police reform, taxation, and the possible impact of progressive leadership under Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist who has surged ahead in polls following his victory over Andrew Cuomo in the city's Democratic primary.
The potential for a significant migration of law enforcement officers and affluent residents could have broader implications for both New York and Florida, particularly in terms of public safety and economic growth. Florida, which has historically attracted individuals leaving states with higher taxes and stricter regulations, has witnessed a marked increase in real estate values—especially in Palm Beach—driven in part by previous population shifts from the Northeast.
Over 151,000 New Yorkers relocated to Florida between 2018 and 2022, resulting in an estimated $9 billion loss in income for New York and further intensifying the sociopolitical divide between the two states, according to CL Tampa Bay.
Newsweek has reached out to Mamdani for comment via email.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis attends a roundtable discussion after touring a migrant detention center, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," located at the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, on July 1, 2025.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis attends a roundtable discussion after touring a migrant detention center, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," located at the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, on July 1, 2025.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
What To Know
DeSantis invoked Mamdami during a speech Tuesday at the 2025 Florida Sheriffs Association Summer Conference in Orlando, where the longtime Florida governor DeSantis emphasized his claim that Mamdani's policies could drive NYPD officers to seek employment in Florida, citing the state's $5,000 law enforcement sign-up bonus as an added incentive.
"I think you're going to end up at this conference next year, potentially, be talking about, hey, they elected some anti-law enforcement mayor in New York City, and now all these NYPD cops want to come work in our agencies and get the $5,000 bonus, and I think that that's, unfortunately, something...that may happen if they do this (in New York)," DeSantis said in his speech.
DeSantis continued: "Would you want to put on a uniform and go out and serve if the mayor doesn't even think your agency should exist or get any funding at all, doesn't think police should go in dangerous areas, that they should send social workers in there? That ain't my cup of tea, and I don't think anybody who wears the uniform thinks those policies will succeed."
Mamdani, a former state assemblyman from Queens, has campaigned on progressive initiatives including rent freezes for over two million residents, free public transit, city-run grocery stores to stabilize prices and free child care for toddlers.
His key public safety proposal is the establishment of a Department of Community Safety to increase spending on subway outreach and violence prevention, while raising the city's minimum wage to $30 by 2030. Mamdani has called for corporate tax hikes, a higher levy on millionaires, more tax auditors, the elimination of no-bid contracts, and actions against corrupt landlords, projecting up to $10 billion in new annual revenue to fund his platform.
Mamdani's views regarding policing and the NYPD have seemed to evolve in recent years, notably as he runs in a general election.
During the Black Lives Matters protests that engrossed the country in the summer of 2020, Mamdani posted on X that the NYPD was "wicked and corrupt" and should be defunded.
His stance has perhaps changed, with him now publicly stating that he will not defund the police. He said he also better recognizes the role of the NYPD in the community.
In June, as Mamdani gained on Cuomo in the polls ahead of the primary election, DeSantis made similar remarks about Mamdani and the impact his hypothetical victory could have on both New York City and Florida.
"I will tell you, if that leftist does win, you're going to see Palm Beach real estate go up another 20 percent," DeSantis said at a press conference in Clearwater Beach. "That will happen very quickly. Because as bad as some of what they've had, this is like [former New York City Governor Bill] De Blasio on steroids."
President Donald Trump has called Mamdani a "100% Communist Lunatic."
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, has also expressed concerns about higher taxes driving New Yorkers to move to Florida.
What People Are Saying
Zohran Mamdani on X on Monday following the fatal shootings in New York City: "I'm heartbroken to learn of the horrific shooting in midtown and I am holding the victims, their families, and the NYPD officer in critical condition in my thoughts. Grateful for all of our first responders on the ground."
What Happens Next
The New York City mayoral general election is scheduled for November. Mamdani, now the Democratic nominee, faces challenges from independent Andrew Cuomo, who the former Democratic governor of the state, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams (also running as an independent), and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Florida officials continue to promote their state as a destination for law enforcement professionals and high-income individuals seeking lower taxes.
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