Every one of the 10 “worst states for business” is run by a Democrat governor, while Republican governors dominate the 10 best states, results of a national survey of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) released Tuesday reveals.
The 2024 Chief Executive Best & Worst States for Business survey is the latest of the publication’s annual studies polling “more than 600 American CEOs, with representation from every state.”
Texas won this year’s crown for best state, with Florida taking second place, which Chief Executive notes has been “the pattern for nearly the entire history of the annual survey that began in 2001.” Tennessee was rated the third-best state for business.
All three of the best states, and eight of the top ten, have Republican governors:
- Texas – Republican Greg Abbott
- Florida – Republican Ron DeSantis
- Tennessee – Republican Bill Lee
- Arizona – Democrat Katie Hobbs (Jan. 2023) – unseats GOP
- North Carolina – Democrat Roy Cooper
- Indiana – Republican Eric Holcomb
- Georgia – Republican Brian Kemp
- Nevada – Republican Joe Lombardo (Jan. 2023) – unseats Dem
- Utah – Republican Spencer Cox
- South Carolina – Republican Henry McMaster
Meanwhile, all ten states ranked worst for business in the CEO survey are run by Democrat governors:
- California remained at No. 50 – Democrat Gavin Newsom
- New York at No. 49 – Democrat Kathy Hochul
- Illinois at No. 48 – Democrat J. B. Pritzker
- New Jersey at No 47 – Democrat Phil Murphy
- Washington – Democrat Jay Inslee
- Massachusetts – Democrat Maura Healey
- Hawaii – Democrat Josh Green
- Oregon – Democrat Tina Kotek
- Connecticut – Democrat Ned Lamont
- Minnesota – Democrat Tim Walz
North Dakota, led by Republican Doug Burgum, recorded the largest improvement in the ranking, advancing 13 spots to 16th place.
Colorado, under Democrat Jared Polis, suffered the worst loss, falling 16 spaces to 29th place. Wisconsin, the only other state to post a double-digit decline (down 11 places to Number 30), has a Democrat governor (Tony Evers).
In a statement celebrating the survey results, Texas Gov. Abbott attributed his state’s Number One ranking to the freedom from both regulation and taxes enjoyed by entrepreneurs:
“Freedom is a magnet, and Texas offers entrepreneurs and hardworking Texans the freedom to succeed. When choosing where to relocate or expand their businesses, more innovative industry leaders recognize the competitive advantages found only in Texas.
“The nation’s leading CEOs continually cite our pro-growth economic policies—with no corporate income tax and no personal income tax—along with our young, skilled, diverse, and growing workforce, easy access to global markets, robust infrastructure, and predictable business-friendly regulations.”