As Florida saw a mass influx of migration from other states, many have wondered what this means for the future of the state. Contrary to what is popularly believed, the "Great Sort" indicates that Florida will stay conservative for the near future and possibly beyond.
The "Great Sort" is the idea that Americans move places based on their political ideologies. People moving to Florida may have done so because they were already conservative and were attracted to the state for its recent Republican resurgence on the national stage, not to mention the fact that Florida does not have a state income tax
Florida gained one vote in the electoral college for the upcoming 2024 election, but this metric does not capture the magnitude of migration to Florida. Experts say Florida has experienced its largest population growth ever this year.
The Florida Legislature's Office of Economic and Demographic Research disclosed research this week that showed the state's estimated population in April was 22,634,867, an increase of roughly 359,000 people, or 1.61 percent, from the previous year. In fact, the number of people moving to Florida from other states in the United States is at its highest point ever.
Republican voters have worried that this may mean that new Floridians may be bringing their ideologies from states like New York and California with them. However, there has been no reason to believe this so far.
Many of those new residents may have been attracted to Florida because they see it as a right-leaning state, stated J. Miles Coleman, an associate editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, highlighted by Governor Ron DeSantis’ (R-FL) position on COVID-19 restrictions which catapulted him to national prominence.
"Given Florida’s reputation, or at least what DeSantis has tried to sell it as, with the ‘Free State of Florida’ [slogan] … if I’m a retiree, that’s what I associate Florida with," Coleman said.
With the Culture War seeing its epicenter in Florida, it is very hard to believe Liberal voters from populated states like Michigan or New York would see Florida as an appealing place to land. DeSantis and the state of Florida are simply attracting voters who buy into their brand, which should cement Florida's conservative reputation for quite a while.
