Hochul Ranked Worst Governor in America
The Cato Institute’s latest freedom rankings give Gov. Kathy Hochul an F for her record on personal and economic liberties, while New York finishes near the bottom in the nation.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has been ranked the worst governor in America for protecting personal and economic freedoms, finishing dead last in the Cato Institute’s 2026 “Freedom in the 50 States” report.
Hochul received an “F” and scored just 18.02%, placing 50th behind the governors of Hawaii, California, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. New York ranked 49th overall among states, scoring 31.9%, ahead of only Hawaii at 29.24%.
Many former residents agree, as New York also leads the nation in outmigration. Hochul’s open door immigration policy aims to replace them with immigrants who depend on taxpayer funded services. It’s among the reasons why the state budget, at $277 billion, is nearly twice that of Florida and Texas combined.
The Washington-based think tank examined 97 policy measures across 10 categories, including taxation, housing, occupational licensing, education, firearms, free speech, medical freedom and government regulation.
The study evaluated legislation signed or vetoed by governors, along with policy proposals affecting individual liberties.
Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte finished first, earning the only “A” among governors, followed by Colorado Democrat Jared Polis, Florida Republican Ron DeSantis, Texas Republican Greg Abbott and Iowa Republican Kim Reynolds.
Arizona topped the overall state rankings, followed by Montana, Nevada, Florida and Idaho.
The findings showed that freedom rankings did not divide strictly along party lines, with Democrat-led Arizona ranking first among states and Polis finishing second among governors.
The Cato Institute said its index measures how government policies affect Americans’ ability to make personal and economic decisions without unnecessary restrictions.
The rankings arrive as Hochul faces Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in the November 3 gubernatorial election, with early voting already underway.
The report provides voters with a new assessment of New York’s standing on taxes, regulations, individual rights and government authority.
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