Chief Executive Magazine ranks California 50th out of 50 states for business climate.
Posted by The Dan Bongino Show, Checked
- Sources
- 4 support2 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 80%
The Dan Bongino ShowOct 16, 2026
Chief Executive's 2026 Best & Worst States for Business ranking, released in April 2026, places California at No. 50, and the magazine's rankings have put California last for years. The claim was accurate as of the 2026-10-16 posting date, and the sources show no later change. The post's wording matches the source's ranking, so the extraction is faithful.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… And then you dig beneath that, you've got the homelessness and the crime and the chaos, the school results pretty much the worst in the country, even though we spend nearly the most. Chief Executive Magazine ranks California 50th out of 50 states for business climate. Every day, you see new announcements of businesses leaving. But really, the ultimate indictment of the people who've been in charge: this beautiful, incredible state of ours, with so much to offer, millions have left. People are leaving California. …
The Dan Bongino Show · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. A 2026 press release on the Chief Executive ranking states that California remains No. 50, with New York No. 49 and Illinois No. 48, in a trio that has occupied the bottom of the ranking for years.[1]
Supports. The 2025 edition of the Chief Executive ranking, as described in a 2025 LA Times column, places California 50th.[2]
Supports. Earlier editions also ranked California last: a 2024 California Policy Center report cites the magazine placing California 50th for 2023, and a 2015 Orange County Register piece reports California last for the 11th straight year.[3][4]
Context. The Chief Executive 2026 ranking table in the magazine's own listing is truncated before the bottom states, so it does not independently show California's position.[5]
Context. A Florida Trend article is dated 2026-10-21 but its body describes the 2018 ranking, so it does not bear on the 2026 position.[6]
Sources
6 sources: 6 not rated
- 1Texas and Florida Top Chief Executive Magazine's 2026 ...prweb.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 2Hiltzik: But let's remember that California is a state, not a ...latimes.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 3From Worst to Best: How California ended up with the worst business climate in America, and what it will take to turn things aroundcaliforniapolicycenter.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4California, once again, ranks 50thocregister.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Best and Worst States For Businesschiefexecutive.net · not rated · cited for: context
- 6Texas, Florida top list in Chief Executive Magazine's 'Best & Worst ...floridatrend.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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