- August 5, 2026
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For what soon will be 16 years, Florida has had a good run with Republican Govs. Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis and the Republican Legislature.
One measure of that is in the annual rankings of the Rich States, Poor States Competitiveness Index. For the past 16 years, economists Arthur Laffer, Stephen Moore and Jonathan Williams have compiled detailed rankings on each state’s economic performance and economic outlook.
Florida has been an all-star all 16 years — an average ranking in the top 10. In 2026, the index ranks Florida No. 1 for economic performance the past 10 years.
The Laffer rankings measure states on taxation and the growth in gross domestic product, migration and employment. And each year, its index has shown that states with falling tax, spending and regulatory burdens experience higher and faster economic growth than states with rising burdens.
The conclusion: Elections have consequences.
Let’s hope Florida voters recognize the candidates who can keep the state on the right economic track.
What follows below are our recommendations for a few key races in the Aug. 18 primary. Assessments for all races can be found at YourObserver.com/Opinion.
With 17 people — 11 Republicans, six Democrats — running for their parties’ gubernatorial nomination, you have to chuckle. What are these people thinking?
Truth is, only four had a chance from the start — and that’s because they have at least some name recognition.
The rest? No one knows them, except, say, their families, friends and neighbors.
Nonetheless, give all of them credit for doing what most Floridians wouldn’t think of doing — run for public office.
But at this point, when you look at the two parties’ gubernatorial races, the fundraising totals tell you the likely outcomes.
By the end of July, Republican Congressman Byron Donalds had raised an astonishing $104.6 million. Democrat David Jolly was second with a $9 million. And in third: former Florida House speaker, Republican Paul Renner, with $7 million.
Obviously, Jolly will be the Democrat nominee. And barring a miracle for Renner, Donalds, all but anointed by Donald Trump, will be the Republican nominee.
We’ll pray for a miracle. Renner would make a better governor. Donalds should stay in Congress.
At the same time, neither Donalds nor Renner makes a convincing case if you read their platforms on their websites. Neither articulates a simple, grand vision that resonates.
Donalds touts more audits of government spending; more rules for insurers; more rules about pricing for doctors; more mandates to speed up permitting; creating mandated “personalized academic and career” roadmaps for sixth-12th grade students; more teacher-training programs. More government mandates and bureaucracy.
Meanwhile, Renner’s online agenda comes across as if he is still managing the bills of his fellow legislators in the House. Prosecute self-dealing elected officials; death penalty for human trafficking; prohibit geoengineering and weather modification; stop digital IDs; eliminate Flock cameras. We’ll also take strong exception to his advocating for moratoria on data centers — bad, dumb position.
Here’s the thing: At their political, philosophical cores, Donalds and Renner are conservatives whom we would expect to carry on the conservative principles of their predecessors, former Gov. Rick Scott and outgoing Gov. Ron DeSantis.
But of the two, having served two years as House speaker and eight years in the Florida House, Renner has nearly a decade of being intimately involved in state government policies and its management versus Donalds’ four years as a state representative. It takes leadership to corral the 120 members of the Florida House and have the Senate agree, and Renner did so more than admirably.
As speaker, Renner steered the Legislature to adopting a remarkable agenda of conservative legislation: Universal school choice; tort and insurance reform that led to premium reductions; child protections on social media; pro-life, “heart-beat” legislation; elimination of DEI at universities; open-carry gun law; and tax and spending cuts.
We recommend: Paul Renner
Two-term state Rep. James Buchanan, son of Congressman Vern Buchanan, wants to move to the Florida Senate and fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Joe Gruters.
Buchanan clearly and definitively has earned the position.
For one, the district’s Republican voters should not consider for a blink Buchanan’s Republican challenger. Instead, the convincing argument is that in four years Buchanan has grown and matured into a solid lawmaker respected among his peers. In the capitol, that is crucial.
Buchanan won special praise from the House and Senate leadership this spring for shepherding through the special session legislation that assured that Florida’s tax collectors could not diminish the revenues from special-voted school district ad valorem taxes.
With Buchanan moving into the Senate, Sarasota County representation would maintain familiarity and continuity among the legislative leadership. Not only does Buchanan understand the players and machinations of the House, Buchanan also would move into the Senate having a good relationship with incoming Senate President Jim Boyd of Bradenton. That counts a lot.
We recommend: James Buchanan
If you try to put a blanket characterization on the Sarasota City Commission primary election, here are few ways to sum it up: Stop and go. Past and future. Less and more. Resist and pursue.
But there is also an in-between: rational thinking, good reason.
With the Aug. 18 elections, city voters will be filling the commission’s two at-large seats — held currently by Jen Ahearn-Koch and Debbie Trice.
Trice decided not to seek reelection. Ahearn-Koch is seeking her third term.
On the ballot, voters are allowed to fill in the bubbles for two of the five candidates. The top three vote-getters will qualify for the general election in November.
Historically, that’s what happens. In the 2022 primary, the top three voter-getters were Ahearn-Koch (34%), Trice (19.58%) and Dan Lobeck (19.02%).
When you look at the five names on the city ballot, you can divide them as follows:
The city’s neighborhood associations and downtown anti-noise, anti-development condo dwellers are working hard for Ahearn-Koch and her shadow, Entler.
Amazingly, Entler has stated in her campaign: “I’m ready to be the partner Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch needs to refocus City Hall on the people it actually serves.” So much for independent thinking. One Ahearn-Koch is enough.
At the same time, the pro-Ahearn-Koch supporters are avidly trying to thwart Harshman and Rominiecki from winning. Here’s why: They are convinced Harshman and Rominiecki would align with incumbents Liz Alpert and Kyle Battie, giving pro-growth advocates a super majority and usher in a developer’s dreams come true.
Be real. The foursome is not going to happen. Never say never, but Ahearn-Koch cannot and will not be beaten. We’ll give Ahearn-Koch credit for being a fiscal hawk on a new performing arts center and other matters, but she has been too stridently on the side of the “againsters” throughout her two terms. In the words of that famous 1992 Florida constitutional amend on term limits: Eight is enough.
That leaves Trice’s seat. In all likelihood, the November ballot will have three names: Ahearn-Koch, Harshman and Entler. For once in a blue moon, it would be a hugely positive development to have a respected and accomplished business and community leader on the City Commission. That would be Harshman.
A long-time commercial real estate brokerage owner, Harshman knows development; he knows the city; and he’s a rational thinker when it comes to growth and development.
We recommend: John Harshman and Rob Rominiecki
