Vivek Ramaswamy, the Indian-American entrepreneur and Republican candidate for Ohio governor, has intensified his criticism of New York mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani, cautioning that the city risks losing its core identity if Mamdani’s progressive platform gains ground.
In a series of public remarks and digital campaigns, Ramaswamy, 38, positioned himself as a cultural counterpoint to the policies he sees emerging from Democratic strongholds like New York.
Drawing a sharp contrast between "blue cities and red states," the former biotech executive and one-time Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief is leveraging the ideological divide as a key theme in his 2026 gubernatorial run.
"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 and soon could be gone altogether due to Mamdani," Ramaswamy said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "We're reviving that American Dream in a new place: Ohio. The revival starts next November," he added.
Ramaswamy has taken issue with Mamdani’s openly socialist positions and his stance against billionaires, arguing that such views threaten the foundational values of economic freedom. "Instead of 'ending billionaires,' we should focus on building a country where every American can enjoy the most important thing that billionaires do: a world-class education & financial independence from their government," he said.
Earlier this week, a bold new move in Ramaswamy’s campaign surfaced in the form of a Times Square digital billboard urging New Yorkers to "flee" Mamdani’s politics and consider moving to Ohio. The message was paid for by VPAC - short for Vivek Super PAC, also known as “Victors, not Victims” - a political action group supporting his campaign.
In an op-ed for The New York Post, Ramaswamy urged critics to avoid targeting Mamdani for his racial or religious identity and instead focus on policy.
"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.
He also shared that he, too, has faced xenophobic attacks online. "Each time I post a photo, I'm asked to 'GO HOME'," he said.
In a previous statement on July 2, Ramaswamy had criticised racial extremism from both political sides: "It's a shame to watch the race-obsessed fringe of the right try to outdo the race-obsessed woke left," he posted on X, referencing the backlash faced by Indian-origin figures like Mamdani and Usha Vance, wife of Vice President JD Vance.