Florida and Texas have for years attracted Americans feeling high-tax, high-cost states with an absence of personal income tax and business-friendly policies. Now, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is betting that reducing property taxes could become the Sunshine State’s next competitive advantage.

The stakes extend well beyond Florida.

The competition for new residents translates directly to political influence, with population growth affecting everything from congressional representation to Electoral College votes.

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As Americans continue relocating to southern states in search of affordability amid a bubbling economic crisis, the latest proposal in Florida could become a test of whether low-tax states can further widen their advantage over higher-tax rivals.

Supporters argue it would strengthen Florida’s appeal to homeowners, retirees and businesses while giving it a new edge over competitors like fellow red state Texas. Critics counter that any tax savings must eventually be offset through spending cuts, higher fees or alternative revenue sources, making Florida a potential case study in both the promise and the pitfalls of aggressive tax reduction.

The governor is backing a constitutional amendment that would dramatically expand Florida’s homestead exemption, potentially lowering tax bills for millions of homeowners.

Under the proposal, Florida’s existing $50,000 homestead exemption would increase to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028. In practice, the exemption reduces the portion of a home’s value that is subject to taxation, lowering the tax bill for qualifying homeowners.

For homeowners, that could translate to meaningful tax savings. For local governments, however, it would mean collecting substantially less revenue from one of their largest funding sources.

That tension between tax relief and government funding is at the heart of the debate.

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State analysts estimate the measure could reduce local government revenue by more than $8.4 billion annually, raising questions about how cities and counties would make up the difference.

Backers say the proposal would provide relief to homeowners at a time when many Floridians are grappling with rising housing costs, insurance premiums and inflation. Critics, however, warn that property taxes help fund many of the local services residents rely on every day.

«While the idea of eliminating the property tax sounds appealing, it’s important to remember the local services those tax dollars provide,» Nicole Fox, a policy analyst with the Center for State Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation, told Fox News Digital.

«The quality of a community’s schools and roads, as well as the safety of a community, are important both for quality of life and contributing to the value of one’s home,» she added.

Fox noted that the proposal would eventually eliminate roughly 36% of homestead property taxes and argued that a reduction of that magnitude would likely require some form of replacement revenue.

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«When you are talking about 36% of homestead property taxes eventually being eliminated, there must be a plan for at least some degree of revenue replacement,» Fox said. «Currently that plan is unknown.»

Fox, who recently co-authored a Tax Foundation analysis of the Florida proposal, argued the measure could shift the tax burden onto businesses, renters and property owners who do not qualify for the homestead exemption.

«It would do so through less stable revenue sources that could alter consumer behaviors and negatively impact businesses, as well as shift the burden to those who do not qualify for the homestead exemption,» Fox said.

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Florida’s latest property tax debate comes as the state continues to attract new residents from across the country. (Sven Hoppe/Picture Alliance/Getty Images)

Florida already has «a very competitive tax structure,» Fox added, but warned that «this drastic restructure risks significant uncertainty and economic harm.»

Whether voters ultimately embrace the proposal remains an open question. The constitutional amendment must receive support from at least 60% of voters to take effect.

If approved, supporters argue it could cement Florida’s status as one of the nation’s most attractive destinations for homeowners and businesses, potentially giving it a new advantage over competitors like Texas and South Carolina.

Population shifts, should they continue, could carry hefty political consequences in future elections as faster-growing states gain influence over who is in power in their state houses and Washington. (Slim Aarons/Getty Images)

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If critics are right, however, the proposal could become a test case for whether billions of dollars in property tax relief can be delivered without shifting costs elsewhere.

Either way, the debate unfolding in Florida is being watched closely as states compete for residents, businesses and investment in an increasingly mobile America.

Derecha o izquierda. Como ocurrió en Colombia hace una semana, Perú elegirá este domingo entre dos candidatos de ideología opuesta en un reñido balotaje que definirá quien será el noveno presidente de la última década.

Por un lado estará la candidata de Fuerza Popular, la derechista Keiko Fujimori, hija del exdictador Alberto Fujimori y que intentará llegar a la Casa de Pizarro por cuarta vez en su extensa carrera política.

Su rival será el izquierdista Roberto Sánchez, de Juntos por el Perú y heredero del expresidente Pedro Castillo, destituido en 2022 y de quien fue su ministro de Comercio y Turismo en su efímero gobierno de un año y cinco meses.

“El último sondeo nos da un empate técnico. Pero hay un bolsón muy grande de indecisos. En las elecciones de 2021 los votos blancos y nulos sumaron 6,5%. Ahora, ascienden a 25%. Todavía hay un margen muy grande de votantes que deben decidir”, dijo a TN la analista peruana Urpi Torrado, gerente general de la consultora Datum Internacional.

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Más de 27 millones de peruanos están habilitados para elegir quién será el noveno presidente desde 2016, en un país que atraviesa una gravísima crisis política y de credibilidad en sus instituciones.

En ese escenario, Perú tuvo ocho presidentes en la última década, lo que da una gestión promedio de un año y dos meses. Los mandatarios son electos por partidos débiles, pactan alianzas de poder sin sustento ideológico y caen a los pocos meses jaqueados por denuncias e intrigas políticas. El Parlamento se ha convertido en un organismo desprestigiado encargado de destituir a los jefes de Estado de turno.

La primera vuelta de las elecciones fue un claro cuadro de situación de esta realidad que vive el país: hubo 35 candidatos a la presidencia. La más votada, Keiko Fujimori, obtuvo poco más del 17% de los votos, seguida de Roberto Sánchez, que apenas alcanzó el 12% y superó por un puñado de miles de sufragios al exalcalde de Lima, el ultraderechista Rafael López Aliaga.

“El antivoto es muy fuerte. Ambos candidatos están en magnitudes similares de rechazo. Más allá de la elección, vemos un ciudadano muy desconectado, decepciado y desconfiado”, dijo Torrado.

La resistencia de la población a los políticos es muy fuerte y eso se traduce en el elevado número de indecisos que podría alimentar el voto en blanco o nulo.

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“Tuvimos un presidente por año. Mientras cae el gobierno, se elige un nuevo mandatario y llegan nuevos ministros, se genera un vacío y finalmente esta ausencia del estado, en especial en las zonas mas vulnerables, resiente a la poblacion”, afirmó la analista.

Esa creciente sensación de desamparo no se refleja tanto en términos económicos, pero sí en cuestiones de seguridad.

La economía, más allá de las enormes desigualdades sociales, está hoy en un segundo plano. El PBI creció 3,4% en 2025 y se espera que este año lo haga entre 2,7 y 3,2%. La inflación cerró el año pasado en apenas 1,5% interanual.

Pero en las calles solo se habla de la inseguridad. La ola de asesinatos es inédita en el país, con 10,7 homicidios por cada 100.000 habitantes (frente a 3,7 de la Argentina).

Además, hay un gran incremento de las extorsiones a transportistas y pequeños negocios, que viene de la mano del surgimiento de la figura del sicario.

Las protestas contra la inseguridad se han sucedido en los últimos meses, mientras crecen los cuestionamientos a la dirigencia política.

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En ese contexto, los peruanos deberán decidir entre una especie de continuidad del modelo económico neoliberal encarnado por Keiko Fujimori, o dar un giro a la izquierda y volver a atravesar una gestión truncada con la destitución de Pedro Castillo, hoy condenado a 11 años de cárcel, en 2022.

De hecho, el candidato Roberto Sánchez no solo reivindica el gobierno de Castillo, sino que promete indultarlo y disolver el Parlamento en caso de que le impida desarrollar su agenda de gobierno.

Peruvians head to the polls in a pivotal presidential runoff June 7 in an election that could reshape not only the country’s future but also the balance of power across Latin America.

Two candidates are vying to become the country’s ninth president in just 10 years. Conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori is campaigning on law and order, free-market policies and closer ties with the United States, while left-wing challenger Roberto Sánchez represents a political movement that many see as a continuation of the leftist currents that have challenged U.S. interests in the region.

José Ignacio Beteta, executive director of Asociación de Contribuyentes, a think tank in Peru, told Fox News Digital, «Peru’s June 7 runoff carries consequences well beyond its borders. When analyzed against the current U.S. National Security Strategy, this election will determine whether Peru consolidates its alignment as a U.S. partner or devolves into deeper geopolitical contention. Peru’s institutional weakness has already allowed China to expand into strategic sectors.»

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Beteta added, «Meanwhile, the vote is seen as a choice between a return to freer and more competitive economic and security policies with Fujimori and a second attempt at left-wing governance with Sanchez, a binary that mirrors South America’s broader ideological fractures.»

The election follows years of political instability in Peru, a country that has seen multiple presidents removed from office over the past decade and remains deeply divided between urban and rural constituencies.

Sunday’s election’s outcome is expected to be very close, with the possibility of a final result not being known for days, according to the Associated Press. 

For Washington, Peru’s election represents more than a domestic political contest. It is another test of the broader political direction of Latin America. Over the past several years, several countries in the region have experienced electoral shifts toward center-right or conservative governments, including Argentina under Javier Milei and Ecuador under Daniel Noboa who are all more friendly to Washington.

A Fujimori victory would reinforce that trend and could position Peru alongside a growing bloc of governments favoring tougher approaches to crime, stronger ties with the United States and market-oriented economic policies.

Peru’s presidential candidate for the Fuerza Popular party, Keiko Fujimori, waves to supporters during her closing campaign rally in Lima on June 4, 2026. Right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori and leftist Roberto Sanchez will face off in Peru’s presidential runoff on June 7, 2026.  (Anthony Nino de Guzman / AFP via Getty Images)

Presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori told Fox News Digital that if she wins, «My government’s foreign policy will be based on a very clear premise: defending Peru’s interests. Specifically, regarding the United States, my government will seek a relationship of cooperation, mutual respect and investment promotion. We welcome the Trump administration’s renewed perspective on Latin America and, especially, on Peru, which occupies a strategic geopolitical position in the region.»

Fujimori continued: «We want to seize this opportunity by generating greater stability, legal certainty, and confidence for investment. Peru must always be a country open to the world, committed to freedom, free competition, and the free market. Our goal is to lay the groundwork so that investors from the United States and around the world find in Peru a reliable, stable, and attractive country in which to invest, produce, and create jobs.»

Fox News Digital reached out to Sánchez’ campaign but did not get a response.

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Peru’s presidential candidate for the Juntos por el Peru party, Roberto Sanchez, speaks during a campaign rally at the Plaza Tupac Amaru in Cusco, Peru, on June 2, 2026.  (Jose Angulo / AFP via Getty Images)

Peruvian analyst and legal expert Lucas Ghersi told Fox News Digital, «Roberto Sánchez represents a rather radical left. His platform includes nationalizations and expropriations, and he is close to Evo Morales and Nicolás Maduro. This election is highly polarizing Peruvian society.»

Ghersi continued, «If Keiko Fujimori wins, she would have a good relationship with the United States. She is a reasonable person who defends the constitutional framework and the rule of law, and she has ties to the United States because she has done academic work at Florida International University (FIU).

«Roberto Sánchez, on the other hand, would create tension in the relationship with the United States. During his campaign and in the presidential debate, he bitterly criticized Peru’s purchase of F-16 jets from the United States. He said that Peru shouldn’t buy from the United States and should instead use that money for health or education. He also has ties to illegal mining and has been accused of drug trafficking. This could create tensions in the relationship with the United States.»

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Supporters of Peru’s presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori, for the Fuerza Popular party, shout slogans outside the Lima Convention Center ahead of her debate with Roberto Sanchez, for the Juntos por el Peru party, in Lima on May 31, 2026. Peru will hold the presidential runoff election on June 7.  (Connie France/AFP via Getty Images)

Ghersi concluded, «Peru is a very strategic country and has been the focus of competition between the United States and China. Peru has one of the largest proven copper reserves and is a major gold producer. Therefore, both China and the United States are vying for influence in Peru, and China has been promoting mega-investment projects there, such as a mega-port that is already operational. In response, the United States offered to renovate the Peruvian Navy’s base and invest in large port projects.»

A Fujimori victory would likely be interpreted in Washington as a continuation of the recent trend toward center-right governance in parts of Latin America. Fujimori has campaigned on restoring public security, strengthening economic growth, and maintaining Peru’s market-oriented model. Her supporters argue that these policies could encourage greater foreign investment and closer cooperation with the United States on security and economic issues.

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A Sánchez victory would present a different scenario. Although he has recently moderated portions of his platform, emphasizing respect for private property, free trade agreements and macroeconomic stability, questions remain about how his administration would approach relations with Washington and regional left-wing movements.

The next Peruvian president will help determine whether one of South America’s most important countries moves closer to Washington, or charts a leftward course.

The Associated Press reports that voting is mandatory in Peru for citizens from the ages of 18 to 70, with more than 27 million people registered.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.