Sunshine Economy Summit

Florida Gubernatorial Nominees Byron Donalds and David Jolly to Headline WLRN's Inaugural Sunshine Economy Summit

WLRN will bring Florida's Democratic and Republican gubernatorial nominees, David Jolly and Byron Donalds, to its inaugural Sunshine Economy Summit on September 23, 2026, at the Downtown Event Center in Fort Lauderdale.

The candidates will participate in separate, moderated conversations about their economic priorities ahead of the November election, anchoring a gathering focused on the decisions shaping South Florida's future.

Presented by Platinum Sponsor Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, with support from Gold Sponsor Kaufman Rossin, the summit will connect statewide policy with the concerns facing South Florida residents and employers. Housing affordability, insurance costs, workforce changes and opportunities for investment and job creation will frame a regional conversation about how growth can translate into lasting prosperity.

"The economy is not abstract. It is the cost of a home, the future of a business and whether people can build a life here," said Tom Hudson, WLRN's CEO and special correspondent, who will host the summit. "We're bringing the people making consequential decisions into a conversation about what those decisions mean for the communities we serve."

A regional perspective will come from Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean J. Trantalis, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Doral Mayor Christi Fraga and Lake Worth Beach Mayor Betty Resch. Across two mayoral discussions, they will explore the connections between local government property tax revenues, economic development and immigration's effects on the workforce and business community.

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