Florida Senator Rick Scott sponsored an aerial advertisement over the airspace of New York City on Saturday. Scott's ad was a message to residents of the city who may be concerned about the future of the Big Apple if Zohran Mamdani is elected as mayor.
The banner pulled by a plane flew over Coney Island and Jones Beach. "Hate socialism?" said Scott's banner. "Us too! Move 2 FL."
"While many New Yorkers are out enjoying the beach this weekend, we will be giving them a friendly reminder that in addition to our world class beaches, Florida is the state where you can escape socialism," said Scott in an appearance on Fox News.
Rick Scott served as the Florida governor from 2011-2019. He has served as a United States senator for the "Sunshine State" since 2019.
"We're the land of opportunity," said Scott. "And we do have better beaches."
Senator Scott's advertisement flew in response to Zohran Mamdani's campaign for mayor of New York City. Mamdani, a self-described "Democratic Socialist," won New York CIty's Democratic mayoral primary last month against Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani has campaigned on socialist policies including promises of state-run grocery stores, free public transit, and no-cost childcare for all New Yorkers.
"But, this isn’t new," said Scott, in reference to Mamdani's socialist promises. "It’s just an old, barbaric, discredited idea that’s failed every time it’s been tried. Just look at Cuba and Venezuela and the many families who fled those brutal regimes to live in Florida."
Scott criticized the high cost of living in New York City, antisemitism on college campuses in the city, and the appeal of Mamdani's promises.
"New York City once represented the American Dream – a city where anything was possible," said Scott. "Today, it has now become the city where only billionaires can prosper, Jewish students are attacked on campus, capitalism is shunned and radical socialists like Zohran Mamdani are celebrated."
The Republican senator said, "New York families deserve better."