New Study Ranks Hochul Worst Governor for Freedom Protections
A new study by the Cato Institute places New York Gov. Kathy Hochul at the bottom of its rankings for protecting constituent freedoms.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has been ranked as the worst state leader in the United States for protecting constituents’ freedoms, according to a recent study by the Cato Institute. The 2026 "Freedom in the 50 States" list placed Hochul at No. 50, assigning her an "F" grade. The study evaluated governors based on how their actions in office either advanced or hindered their state's freedoms, with Hochul scoring 18.02% for her policies' impact on New Yorkers' freedoms.
New York state itself ranked 49th overall in the nation for freedoms, achieving a score of 31.9%, just above Hawaii's 29.24%. The Cato Institute's annual study analyzes various state policies, including economic and personal freedoms related to fiscal, housing, occupational, education, firearms, speech, and medical aspects, assigning a percentage score out of 100.
While the study noted that the rankings of both top and bottom governors largely correlated with party lines, there were exceptions. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, ranked second overall for freedom promotion. The Democratic-led state of Arizona secured the No. 1 spot for overall state freedoms.
Conversely, three right-leaning states—Alabama, South Carolina, and Alaska—were among the bottom ten for state freedoms, with two Republican governors also appearing in this lower tier. However, Republican governors predominantly occupied the top positions in the gubernatorial rankings, while Democrats largely populated the bottom.
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte received the highest freedom score at 62.31%, earning an "A" grade. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis followed in third place with 52.61%, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was fourth at 50.67%. Arizona, led by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, was ranked the top state for overall freedoms, followed by Montana, Nevada, and Florida.