During an appearance with Jesse Watters on Fox News this week, Gov. Ron DeSantis all but anointed Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as the face of the Democratic Party if he's elected as the next mayor of New York City.
"This Mamdani is the Democrat party. The minute he gets elected, assuming that happens, and then becomes mayor, he's going to be the most prominent Democrat in America," DeSantis said. "Everything that he does, all the inane ideas, all the leftist dribble that has failed every time it has been tried, but when he does that, that's gonna be a real-world experiment that voters, not just in New York City, well, some of them are never gonna learn, but all throughout the country, are gonna see that's what the Democratic Party stands for."
DeSantis also predicted real estate would go "up" in Palm Beach if Mamdani were to be elected.
"We're not necessarily asking folks to flood down here, but the reality is I think he's gonna make Bill De Blasio look like Ronald Reagan," DeSantis quipped.
De Blasio is a former mayor of New York City, who was often criticized for his progressive policies during his tenure.
Like West Palm Beach, Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer also pitched to New Yorkers to leave the Big Apple and head to Florida if Mamdani were to win. Boca Raton is about thirty minutes south of West Palm Beach.
According to a Suffolk University poll, Mamdani's lead over Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo stands at 10 points. Notably, the lead is smaller than a poll conducted in September, when Mamdani led by 20 points.
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa comes in third place in the latest poll at 11%. There has been pressure for Silwa, an activist and founder of the Guardian Angels, to drop out of the race by some to keep Mamdani from winning.
"Curtis Silwa is not an alternative. He is not a viable candidate. You vote for Curtis, you may as well vote for Zohran Mamdani directly," Cuomo said during a recent appearance on Fox News.
Eric Adams, New York City's current mayor, endorsed Cuomo to be his successor last Thursday. Adams dropped out of the race last month after several polls showed he did not have a chance at reelection.
The New York City mayoral election is on Nov. 4.
