Between September 2020 and March 2021, over 30,000 New Yorkers left the Big Apple for the Sunshine State. Florida also saw an influx of newcomers from Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, and California. Many Americans chose to make Florida their new home amid the pandemic. Florida became the beacon of hope for Americans who wanted to take back over their lives and had enough of the crushing lockdowns.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke at a town hall recently and noted that there had been an influx of people moving to the state from around the country. In addition, Governor DeSantis pointed out that these newcomers are overwhelmingly registering as Republicans, including Democrats who fled blue states.
Though the mainstream media praised new York, Michigan, and many blue states for their leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor DeSantis’ leadership in Florida has shown that many Americans saw through the media bias and were more interested in having a choice in their lives.
Americans are leaving blue states and coming to Florida and registering as Republicans speak to Florida’s leadership amid the pandemic and serves as an opportunity for the GOP to rebrand itself and welcome new members to the party in the lead up to the 2022 midterm elections.
The 2022 midterms will not only forecast American priorities for the 2024 presidential election but serve as an assessment of states’ leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Florida took a lot of heat from the mainstream media to open sooner than most states during the pandemic. Yet, Florida showed the country that opening was what the American people wanted.
In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that “ if you have a political party that puts the interest of teachers unions over the interest of kids being able just to access an education at all, that tells you all you need to know about the modern Democrat Party.” The American public responded to Florida’s willingness to be open by moving there in droves.
Throughout the pandemic, Florida has allowed business owners and individuals to not allow policymakers in Washington, DC to dictate the freedoms of Floridians. In doing so, more Americans have found a new home in Florida and are welcomed for it.
As more individuals could work remotely during the pandemic, it became easier for Americans to settle down in other cities across the country. More importantly, the economics of leaving a region for another gave individuals a choice they may not have had before the pandemic. For example, many Americans left significant cities for smaller ones as they were able to work remotely. Texas and Florida became among the most prominent winners, focusing on opening safely and getting people to work and students back into schools.
The pandemic has challenged American employers to reevaluate their operations and navigate remotely as much as possible. These challenges, coupled with the economic impacts of living in large cities, sent millions of Americans packing. The policies of far-left cities have shown that people will overwhelmingly choose freedom, their freedom when given a choice.
A year later and many Americans are still crisscrossing the country and leaving blue states in droves. Florida has risen as a beacon of hope, opportunity, and Americanism in a time in which we’ve needed it most. Nevertheless, as Americans settle in states like Texas and Florida and escape the far-left policies of their former states, they must not forget why they left those states as these very policies will be on the ballot in 2022 and, more importantly, in 2024.
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