The Blue State Exodus Should Scare Democrats

The Liberal Patriot ^ | Mar 17, 2025 | Nate Moore

[MinorityRepublican]

In 2021, California’s population declined for the first time since earning statehood in 1850. In 2022, it declined again. And then again in 2023. For a state historically defined by limitless opportunity and an ever-growing population, three straight years of decline delivered a cold dose of reality: things weren't working.

The Golden State, of course, is not alone. Since Covid, the biggest blue states have dramatically lagged behind the biggest Republican states in population growth. Between 2020 and 2024, California, New York, and Illinois each lost more than 100,000 thousand residents. Florida and Texas, meanwhile, both gained around 2 million residents. The disparity is shocking.

It is tempting to chalk up the unprecedented decline to Covid. Now that the pandemic has faded, numbers will even out, some might argue. Nothing more than a blip. But the most recent figures confirm that the reasons behind the blue-state population decline run much deeper than Covid. Even though case counts are a thing of the past, populous red states continue to lap their blue counterparts. Between July 2023 and July 2024, Florida and Texas gained more than 1 million residents combined. Illinois, New York, and California barely broke 400,000 cumulatively.

Though certainly exacerbated by the virus, policy failures are ultimately at fault. Disastrous housing shortages, needlessly burdensome environmental regulations, the mind-boggling mess that is California’s high-speed rail project. The examples go on and on. Thankfully, left-of-center intellectuals are coming to terms with a much-needed course correction (though some have been there for a while). Marc Dunkelman’s Why Nothing Works and Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s Abundance both attempt to address the problem—and a broader “Abundance Agenda” seems to slowly be gaining purchase with some policymakers.

But most elected Democrats remain oblivious or even contemptuous of the reforms needed to right the ship.

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TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: california; curtissliwa; democrats; florida; illinois; kathyhochul; migration; newyorkcity; texas; zohranmamdani

[P.O.E.]

https://www.nj.gov/treasury/taxation/staynj/index.shtml

“The Stay NJ program offers property tax benefits to eligible homeowners aged 65 and older. It reimburses applicants for 50% of their property tax bills, up to a maximum of $13,000, with a 2024 benefit cap of $6,500. To qualify, you must have owned and lived in your home for the full 12 months of 2024 and have an income below $500,000. “

[AppyPappy]

One of my friends was singing the praises of Portland, OR while she was packing up to move to the hills of NC.

[DeplorableTrumpSupporter]

Hmmm...my neighborhood is made up of mostly people who escape the blue state or insane countries. We have Californians (2 families, one who misses In N Out), a family from upstate NY, a gay family from Vermont (the most liberal but they hate Bernie.), a family from England, a family from Minnesota, 3 families from Illinois and a family from England, from Germany and from Spain.

[TexasFreeper2009]

hispanics were always going to end up Republican in the end. By the 3rd generation nearly all are unrecognizable as Hispanic and are considered white.

[Ex-Con777]

I wonder if this counts the self deporting illegals that are counted for apportionment.

EC

[metmom]

I don’t know.

Any loss of a democrat voter is a win though.

[Jacquerie]

Agree.

FL picked up only one rep from the 2020 census.

Nonsense. Should have been at least two.

Gotta’ eliminate illegals from the census count or the rats will come to full power again and never let go.

[The Sons of Liberty]

The Blue State Exodus Should Scare Democrats

Dems will make that up with the usual FRAUD. It scares me more because most of the "refugees" from Blue States forget to leave the leftist politics behind that caused them to flee. That's how Georgia now has TWO dem senators! My county was once SOLIDLY RED. It was the heart of Newt's District, but NOW is is run by the dems, karens, and Blue State refugee scum and is going down fast!

[sergeantdave]

Attention doomer neurotics - FR has depleted its supply of fainting couches for this post. Please start a queue to the left and wait for the next California migration story.