E-Paper
After Zohran Mamdani's victory, Vivek Ramaswamy's ‘identity politics’ warning to Republicans
Democrats Mikie Sherrill also won New Jersey’s governorship, Abigail Spanberger became Virginia’s governor and Ghazala Hashmi won the state's LG race.
Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy responded on Wednesday to the wins of Democratic leaders in key elections in the United States, including Zohran Mamdani's victory in New York.
In a post on X, Ramaswamy issued a stern warning to the Republican Party, underlining that the results are a wake-up call and urging the party to refocus on economic issues and abandon identity politics. Follow LIVE updates here.
"We got our defeat handed to us in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City. Democrats swept all," Ramaswamy said in a video posted on X. “There are two key lessons for Republicans. Listen carefully: Number one, our side needs to focus on affordability, make the American dream affordable. Bring down costs: electric, grocery, healthcare, and housing. Lay out clearly how we're going to do it.”
"Number two, cut out identity politics. It doesn't suit Republicans. It's the woke left's game. We don't care about the colour of your skin or religion; we care about the content of your character. That's who we are," he added.
Also Read | '...And so it begins!': Trump's cryptic post after Mamdani's NYC victory speech
Ramaswamy, who once sought the presidency, is now running for Ohio governor in the Republican primary set for May 2026.
His warning comes after Democrats made significant gains in several elections across the United States. Democrat Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral race, while Mikie Sherrill became New Jersey's next governor, and Abigail Spanberger won the race for Virginia governor. Democrat Ghazala Hashmi also won lieutenant governor’s race in Virginia
Also Read | From ‘Red apple’ to 'improbable run': How US media covered Mamdani's NYC win
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump cited two factors that contributed to Republican losses and suggested that he deserved no blame for his party's poor performance.
In a social media post, the president mentioned unnamed “pollsters” who suggested that the losses were due to his absence from the ballot and voters' reactions to the government shutdown.
