evidence: The differing fortunes are highlighting the growing divisions between the largest Democrat and Republican-led states at a time when they’re competing for businesses and people to relocate, and their leaders are often sniping at each other over policies from immigration to taxation. Texas Governor Greg Abbott is seeking to cut taxes even further with a record $33 billion surplus, while Florida’s 9% bump in revenue so far this year is fueling record spending — giving Governor Ron DeSantis a boost as he fights for the Republican presidential nomination. Marc Goldwein, senior policy director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said the dynamic reflects core differences between states’ tax bases. California and New York saw their populations shrink by about 294,000 residents in the year through July 1, 2022, while Florida and Texas added about 888,000 residents collectively, according to Census Bureau data. [...] Meanwhile, Florida and Texas rely on taxes on sales, which have held up well as Americans keep spending, to the surprise of economists. Those levies have also been bolstered by inflation.