"Reviving New York's Spirit In Ohio": Vivek Ramaswamy's New Attack On Zohran Mamdani

Indian origin billionaire Republican Vivek Ramaswamy has stepped up his attack against New York's mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's "radical left" policies, warning that if the 33-year-old Muslim leader is elected, America's most populous city can lose its identity. The 38-year-old former biotech executive, who is running for governor of Ohio in 2026, claimed that cities like New York are eroding the American spirit, as he sought to pitch his gubernatorial constituency as the new hub for the revival of the "American dream."

"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. 

"We're reviving that American Dream in a new place: Ohio. The revival starts next November," he added. 

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. We're reviving that American Dream in a new place: Ohio. The revival starts next November. pic.twitter.com/vLZ8fwOZUb

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) July 16, 2025

Ramaswamy, the former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief, has anchored his campaign for the new electoral race on cultural and ideological differences between blue cities and red states.

He slammed Mamdani's socialist ideology and his campaign against billionaires and said that "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."

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. pic.twitter.com/wyL7AuyrfF

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) July 16, 2025

Earlier this week, a billboard emerged at Times Square in New York, asking New Yorkers to "flee" the politics of "radical socialist" Mamdani and "move to Ohio"-- Ramaswamy's gubernatorial seat. The digital billboard was sponsored by "VPAC or Vivek Super PAC - Victors, not Victims", a political group backing Ramaswamy's candidacy in the Buckeye State. 

The Republican leader also wrote an op-ed in The New York Post, asking Mamdani's critics not to attack the Democrat's Ugandan-Indian or Muslim background, but to focus on his anti-capitalist worldview. 

"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. 

The Republican revealed he, too, was subjected to ethnic slurs online. "Each time I post a photo, I'm asked to 'GO HOME'." he said. 

Ramaswamy has earlier slammed the "race-obsessed fringe of the right" for targeting Indian-origin figures, including Mamdani and Usha Vance, the wife of US vice-president JD Vance.

"It's a shame to watch the race-obsessed fringe of the right try to outdo the race-obsessed woke left," the former presidential candidate posted on X on July 2.