Democrats promised their big government policies would create prosperity.
Voters are rejecting that fantasy with their feet.
And Ron DeSantis just dropped one stat that has leftist governors panicking.
Voters fleeing blue states at record pace
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis celebrated when U-Haul released its 2025 Growth Index showing Florida ranked second in the nation for in-migration.
The moving company analyzed 2.5 million one-way truck and trailer rentals to track where Americans are relocating.
DeSantis posted on social media that the report proved people are fleeing leftist states.
"2025 U-Haul report shows people continue to flee leftist jurisdictions, with California ranked last for the sixth consecutive year," DeSantis wrote.
"Florida ranks second-best," he added.
https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/2008396994662830222?s=20
Florida saw 50.6% of U-Haul customers arriving compared to 49.4% leaving in 2025.
That made Florida the second-most popular destination in America behind only Texas.
California's collapse continues
California landed dead last for the sixth straight year.
The Golden State hemorrhaged 239,575 residents to other states in 2024 despite attracting 361,057 international migrants.
That means California gained more than 360,000 foreigners while watching nearly 240,000 Americans run for the exits.
New York posted the second-worst domestic migration with a loss of 120,917 residents.
Illinois came in third, losing 56,235 people to other states.
The pattern is crystal clear.
Americans are abandoning Democrat-run states with high taxes, crushing regulations, and out-of-control crime for Republican-governed states that respect freedom.
DeSantis built Florida into America's economic powerhouse
Florida's population exploded by 467,347 people from 2023 to 2024 according to Census Bureau data.
The state now tops 23.3 million residents and is projected to hit 24 million by 2026.
DeSantis noted during a recent Stanford University visit that Florida experienced "a decade's worth of growth in a three-year period."
The influx isn't accidental.
Florida has no state income tax while California's top rate hits 13.3%.
DeSantis kept schools and businesses open during COVID when Democrat governors crushed their economies with lockdowns.
Florida's economy is now the 15th largest in the world at nearly $1.8 trillion — that's 65% growth since DeSantis took office.
U.S. News & World Report named Florida the nation's number one economy three years running.
While Democrats locked down their states and strangled small businesses, DeSantis poured billions into roads, schools, and disaster prep to handle the population explosion.
The difference? He bet on freedom instead of bureaucracy.
Democrats can't compete with freedom
Look at the scoreboard.
Seven of the top 10 growth states in the U-Haul rankings have Republican governors.
Nine of the bottom 10 have Democrat governors.
California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, and Massachusetts all saw massive population losses despite receiving huge numbers of international migrants.
These blue states are literally replacing Americans fleeing high costs and failed policies with foreign-born residents.
The Census Bureau confirmed international migration accounted for 84% of national population growth between 2023 and 2024.
Florida's domestic migration gains fell to 63,346 in 2024 from 194,438 in 2023 as housing costs increased.
But the state still attracted 411,322 international migrants on top of domestic arrivals.
That puts Florida in a completely different category than California and New York, which are hemorrhaging Americans despite international immigration.
https://twitter.com/SBECouncil/status/2008229720656146460?s=20
The verdict is in
Americans are voting with their U-Haul trucks.
They're abandoning leftist states run by Democrats who prioritize woke ideology over prosperity.
Ron DeSantis proved something Democrats can't stand to admit.
Freedom works.
Low taxes work.
Treating people like adults instead of children works.
The U-Haul data confirms what conservatives have known for years.
Democrat policies drive people away while Republican leadership attracts them.
California can keep finishing last while Florida keeps winning.
That's what happens when governors actually put their people first instead of pandering to the radical Left.
Sources:
- Adam Regan, "Florida ranks No. 2 on U-Haul Growth Index for 2025," Naples Daily News, January 7, 2026.
- Rob Garguilo, "Florida Ranks Among Top States for Inbound Moves In 2025, U-Haul Data Shows," CBS12, January 7, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, "Net International Migration Drives Highest U.S. Population Growth in Decades," December 19, 2024.
- Martha Asencio-Rhine, "Florida is the No. 2 growth state in the country, U-Haul moving data shows," Tampa Bay Times, January 7, 2026.
- Governor Ron DeSantis, X.com, January 6, 2026.
