The campaign casts New York City’s mayor as an unlikely booster for Florida, but the “Economic Developer of the Year” title comes from the Chamber, not a government agency.
The Florida Chamber of Commerce turned migration figures into a public taunt against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, using a Times Square billboard and a mock “Economic Developer of the Year” label to argue that New York policies are pushing jobs, companies, wealth and families toward Florida.
Fox Business reported that the campaign launched on August 10, 2026, with a billboard in Times Square. The Chamber’s point was not subtle: it framed Mamdani as an unintended recruiter for Florida’s economy while promoting the state’s tax-and-regulation model as a contrast to New York’s.
The migration numbers driving the pitch
The Chamber tied its message to Florida’s $1.8 trillion economy and to migration data it says show a major advantage over New York.
According to figures cited by the Florida Chamber of Commerce from IRS migration data, Florida gains roughly $2.4 million in net taxable income per hour, while New York loses about $1.1 million per hour. The group also said Florida gains a net 551 residents per day and New York loses a net 115 residents per day.
Those numbers are the backbone of the campaign. The Chamber presents them as evidence that businesses, wealth and families are moving toward Florida and away from higher-cost, higher-tax environments.
Wilson framed it as a policy fight
Florida Chamber CEO Mark Wilson told Fox News Digital that the billboard was meant to thank Mamdani for “the jobs, the companies, the people” the group believes are being pushed out of New York, with many going to Florida.
Wilson described the campaign as part of a broader argument over free enterprise and expanding government control. He said the Chamber wants other states to adopt policies it believes encourage growth.
Wilson also said the campaign was not intended to celebrate New York’s struggles or “spike the football.” Still, the format was built to get attention: a Florida business group delivered its message in one of New York City’s most visible commercial corridors.
The Times Square ad carried the punchline
The digital billboard appeared at 1500 Broadway near West 43rd Street in Times Square, according to Fox Business. Its central line was “Thanks for the jobs!”
The placement mattered as much as the message. Rather than making the case only to Florida audiences, the Chamber put its argument in Manhattan, where it could directly address New York leadership, commuters, tourists and business travelers.
The “Economic Developer of the Year” title was issued by the Florida Chamber, not the Florida state government. It was an advocacy campaign and marketing message, not an official award from a state agency.
Why Mamdani became the symbol
The Chamber’s case depends on casting Mamdani as a symbol of the policies it opposes. In the Fox Business account, the group linked him to progressive taxes and socialist policies that it says are driving people and companies toward the Sunshine State.
Wilson argued that raising taxes on those who remain in high-cost states can encourage more departures. He contrasted that with Florida’s record, saying the state has lowered taxes more than 50 times over 15 years while bringing in record revenue as its economy expanded.
The billboard therefore works on two levels: as a personal jab at New York’s mayor and as a broader sales pitch for Florida’s approach to economic development.
The budget comparison in the Chamber’s argument
The Florida Chamber’s press release claimed that New York’s state budget is more than twice Florida’s, and that New York City’s budget exceeds Florida’s entire state budget by more than $8 billion.
The Chamber used those comparisons to reinforce its argument that Florida can grow with lower taxes and a smaller fiscal footprint. Its message is that states compete not only on weather or lifestyle, but also on tax policy, spending and regulatory climate.
That is the political claim the billboard was designed to compress into a few words: if residents and companies are leaving New York, the Chamber wants Florida to be seen as the beneficiary.
What the mock award does and does not prove
The campaign makes a clear argument about migration, but it does not by itself prove that one mayor or one policy caused every move reflected in the data. It is the Chamber’s interpretation of migration and tax figures, packaged as a political ad.
That distinction is central to understanding the stunt. Mamdani was not formally honored by Florida; he was used as the face of a message about interstate competition.
The larger takeaway is that Florida’s business establishment is selling an economic identity as aggressively as it sells a place to live. The Times Square billboard turned that pitch into a public confrontation with New York’s mayor.
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