Florida vs California: there’s no comparison

Tonight as I write this Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are going to debate.  It would seem that there is little to discuss (at least economically) as Florida crushes California (see chart below).

How does New Mexico play into this? We know that Gov. Lujan Grisham considers California and Gavin Newsom here model. Her EV regulations which put New Mexico in lockstep with California are just one of several examples of her California-centric approach.

Needless to say, we believe that New Mexico would thrive if just a few of Florida’s policies (including education reform which is not addressed below) were introduced here. Sadly, politicians and powerful special interest groups prefer the California model because they can gain politically and financially from centralized power.

If New Mexicans want better outcomes in their state they need to embrace politicians that embrace the Florida model.

The following charts are from the Committee to Unleash Prosperity.