Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) doubted that there would be an “uptick” in movers to Florida in response to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
DeSantis said Florida received “a very high-end migration” from California residents in recent years, but he doesn’t know if a similar migration will happen with New York City residents. Mamdani won the mayoral election last November, and Fox News host Sean Hannity cited a recent poll claiming that 4 out of 10 New York residents intend to leave, adding that he doesn’t know of anyone leaving Florida.
“Well, we’ll see in terms of how his governance in the city impacts,” DeSantis said on Fox News Media’s Hang Out with Sean Hannity podcast. “I mean, I was skeptical that it was going to cause a massive wave just because there’s not as much meat left on the bone. A lot of people that wanted to leave, they left under [former New York City Mayor Bill] de Blasio, right? They’ve left over these different years, and so we’ll see what happens.”
DeSantis added that Florida has experienced 10 years of migration “packed into two or three years.” He said this provides both benefits and challenges to the state.
The governor also said some Florida residents are saying the state could use “some moderation” in migration, adding that “maybe” the state will undergo a period of this. He said this “wouldn’t be a bad thing” for the state.
RON DESANTIS SKEPTICAL OF STATE GAS TAX PAUSE: ‘THE CONSUMER DOESN’T SEE ANY DIFFERENCE’
Hannity, a Florida resident, said DeSantis doesn’t want Florida to “become New York,” to which DeSantis responded, “Exactly!”
Hannity hosted de Blasio on his show on Thursday, during which the two spoke about the Biden administration’s handling of border security and immigration. The former mayor said he believes the Democratic Party “overcompensated” with its response to President Donald Trump’s handling of immigration.
