Florida has spent the past several years showing the American people what is possible when a state embraces freedom, rewards hard work and allows businesses and families to prosper.
Now, it is time to take Florida to the next level.
With Republican Rep. Byron Donalds (FL-19) now officially our Republican nominee for governor, Floridians have an opportunity to secure the future of our state for decades to come. Byron understands that protecting Florida’s success is only the beginning. Our next governor must build upon that foundation, expand opportunity and position Florida to lead America into a new era of economic strength and innovation.
Today, Florida has a gross domestic product of approximately $1.8 trillion, making it the 14th-largest economy in the world. If Florida were an independent nation, our economy would be larger than those of Australia, Mexico, Spain and Indonesia. Let that sink in: Florida has a larger economy than massive countries!
That is an extraordinary achievement, but it should be viewed as a starting point, not a finish line.
Florida should set an ambitious goal: become one of the 10 largest economies in the world by the end of this decade. Reaching that milestone will require us to protect the policies that fueled our success while pursuing a new generation of economic opportunities.
First, Florida must become the undisputed global capital of commercial space.
For decades, the Space Coast has represented American exploration and ingenuity. Today, it is also becoming one of the most important centers of private-sector investment anywhere in the world. Florida recorded an unprecedented 109 launches in 2025, carrying more than 2,100 payloads and over three million pounds into space.
But counting launches is not enough. We must build the entire space economy here.
The rockets should launch from Florida, but the satellites should also be designed here. The components should be manufactured here. The software should be developed here. The engineers should be educated here. The companies financing, insuring and supporting these missions should be headquartered here.
Florida should expand its spaceport infrastructure, streamline permitting for aerospace projects and create stronger partnerships among Space Florida, our universities, private companies and the federal government. We should make it clear that if a company wants to participate in the commercial space revolution, Florida is where it belongs.
Byron Donalds has consistently championed the principles that made Florida successful: lower taxes, limited government, public safety, parental rights and economic freedom. As our Republican nominee, he now has an opportunity to present a bold vision that not only protects the Florida Dream but expands it for the next generation.
That vision should extend beyond the Space Coast. Florida must lead the nation in artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, defense technology, aviation, financial services and the life sciences.
Florida has already established itself as a destination for entrepreneurs and established companies fleeing high-tax, overregulated states. The next step is ensuring that we are not simply attracting existing businesses, but creating the industries and companies that will define the next 50 years.
That means investing in workforce development. Our colleges, universities and technical schools must work directly with employers to prepare Floridians for careers in aerospace, engineering, cybersecurity, robotics, construction and advanced manufacturing. A four-year degree cannot be treated as the only pathway to success. Apprenticeships and skilled trades must be central to Florida’s economic strategy.
It also means strengthening Florida’s role as America’s gateway to Latin America, the Caribbean and the world. Our ports, airports and logistics networks are strategic economic assets. Modernizing them will help Florida attract more international investment, expand exports and bring additional global headquarters to our state.
We must also confront the challenges created by our success.
Floridians cannot fully benefit from a $1.8 trillion economy if housing is unaffordable, insurance premiums continue to strain family budgets or transportation infrastructure fails to keep pace with population growth. Economic expansion must improve the lives of the people who already call Florida home.
Growth must translate into better jobs, higher wages and greater opportunity in every part of Florida, not only our largest metropolitan areas. It must protect the Florida Dream for working families, small-business owners, veterans, retirees and young people hoping to build their futures here.
Florida’s economic rise did not happen by accident. It occurred because our state chose freedom over bureaucracy and opportunity over dependency. Those principles must remain nonnegotiable.
But protecting what made Florida successful does not mean becoming complacent. Leadership requires looking beyond the next election cycle and preparing for the next generation.
A $1.8 trillion economy gives Florida influence that few states, and few countries, possess. We should use that strength to lead America into the future, from the factory floor to the launchpad.
Byron Donalds is now carrying the Republican banner into the general election. His nomination gives us the opportunity to unite around a forward-looking agenda that keeps Florida free, makes it more affordable and establishes our state as the economic and technological capital of America.
Florida has already become the place where Americans come to pursue opportunity. Now, we must become the place where the future itself is built.
The Sunshine State’s best days are not behind us. With bold leadership and a clear vision, Florida can become America’s economic engine, the world’s commercial space capital and one of the ten largest economies on Earth.
Bryan E. Leib is the CEO of Henry PR.