By: Jerome Brookshire

As New York City’s political establishment reels from the stunning primary victory of socialist Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli is seizing the moment to make a bold pitch to New Yorkers: flee the city and settle in New Jersey.

The New York Post reported on Saturday that in a statement that quickly gained traction online, Ciattarelli declared on X (formerly Twitter) that “Tonight is proof that the modern Democratic Party has lost its mind,” shortly after Mamdani clinched the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York City, setting up a likely general election win in November. The Republican firebrand, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, didn’t mince words: “To all the residents and business owners of New York City who don’t want a socialist, defund-the-police, antisemitic mayor representing them, I encourage you to move to New Jersey.”

As The New York Post reported, Mamdani’s primary win—considered improbable just weeks earlier—has ignited political anxiety across the tri-state area, with establishment Democrats, business leaders, and law-and-order advocates raising alarm over his radical agenda. Ciattarelli is leveraging that backlash to his political advantage, appealing not just to his New Jersey base but to disillusioned New Yorkers now questioning their city’s future.

The former state assemblyman from Somerset County has doubled down on his message in recent days, using Mamdani’s policy positions—abolishing ICE, ending incarceration for nonviolent offenses, and dismantling the NYPD’s strategic response units—as a foil to promote what he calls his “commonsense conservative vision” for New Jersey.

“When I win the governorship in 4+ months, we’re going to transform NJ into a beacon of commonsense, affordability, economic opportunity, and law and order,” Ciattarelli posted on Wednesday. According to the information provided in The New York Post report, the Republican contender is banking on a campaign strategy that combines economic pragmatism with strong anti-socialist rhetoric, painting himself as a bulwark against the leftward lurch gripping neighboring New York.

He didn’t stop there. In a follow-up message, Ciattarelli wrote that if elected, he would “be proactive in protecting our state from the lawlessness and chaos that will ensue if @ZohranKMamdani becomes NYC’s next mayor.”

His remarks come as New Jersey continues to absorb a post-pandemic migration wave, much of it from New York. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau cited by The New York Post, New Jersey’s population grew by 2.3%—reaching approximately 9.5 million—from April 2020 to December 2024. A substantial portion of that growth, more than 75,000 people, consisted of former New York residents who decamped between 2021 and 2022, driven by frustrations with rising crime, high taxes, and what many see as the city’s ideological drift.

Analysts note that Ciattarelli’s outreach to disaffected New Yorkers may resonate with swing voters in the Garden State’s densely populated northeast corridor—home to a large commuter population with close economic and cultural ties to the five boroughs. “This isn’t just a jab at Mamdani; it’s a calculated move to show New Jerseyans that Ciattarelli is serious about preserving law and order,” one Republican strategist told The Post.

Mamdani, for his part, has dismissed such criticism as “fear-mongering from those clinging to a status quo that’s failed working people.” The 33-year-old Queens assemblyman has described his mayoral bid as a “mandate for justice,” pledging to transform New York into a sanctuary city with a “humane budget,” steep cuts to law enforcement, and expanded public housing and healthcare access.

But it’s precisely that vision that has stirred worry among moderate Democrats and conservatives alike—and handed Ciattarelli a timely opportunity to sharpen his contrast with the New York model. “We’re not going to let the values that have made New Jersey strong be overrun by chaos,” Ciattarelli said during a recent campaign stop in Hoboken. “New Jersey will not be New York.”

With the race to replace outgoing Democratic Governor Phil Murphy heating up, Ciattarelli appears determined to make New York’s troubles his campaign’s rallying cry. As The New York Post noted in a recent editorial, Mamdani’s ascent has not only upended political expectations in the five boroughs—it may have sent ripples strong enough to shift the political tide across the Hudson.