The Top 5 Governors Who Actually Understand Fiscal Sanity — And the Ones Tanking Their States
Written by Derek Wolfe
The Top 5 Fiscal Hawks Keeping the Wolves at Bay
1. Kim Reynolds (R – Iowa): The Reigning Champ
Kim Reynolds just grabbed the top spot again. She’s been running Iowa like a lean-and-mean operation since 2017, and it shows. With an impressive score of 81, she’s proving that the key to good governance is cutting taxes and refusing to feed the ever-hungry beast of government spending. Iowa’s budget has stayed tight, and businesses are thriving as a result.
The Cato report describes Reynolds as “a dedicated tax reformer and a lean budgeter.” Translation: She’s one of the rare politicians who understands that spending less and letting people keep more of their own money is how freedom survives. If only D.C. took notes.
2. Jim Pillen (R – Nebraska): Vet Turned Budget Surgeon
This former veterinarian and businessman scored 77—not bad for a newcomer. Pillen is slashing tax rates like he’s performing surgery on the state’s bloated budget. The corporate tax rate is heading down to 3.99% by 2027, and he’s cut taxes on both individuals and retirees by eliminating taxes on Social Security. Bonus points for making it easier for businesses to write off equipment expenses. Pillen’s showing how you phase in freedom while phasing out theft.
3. Jim Justice (R – West Virginia): From Party Switcher to Tax Cutter
Justice started out as a Democrat, but somewhere along the line, he wised up and crossed the aisle. Now, he’s making waves with West Virginia’s largest tax cut in history—a solid 71 on Cato’s ranking. He’s been pushing income tax cuts with the legislature, proving once again that reducing government’s share makes everyone’s life better. It’s almost like more freedom = better outcomes. Who knew?
4. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R – Arkansas): A Fast Start Out of the Gate
Sarah Huckabee Sanders hasn’t wasted time. In just two years since taking office, she’s already building a rainy day fund and slashing individual and corporate income taxes. She scored 69, which ties her for fourth place. If Sanders keeps Arkansas on this path, the Natural State might just become a safe haven from federal overreach. Let the rest of the country burn if they want—Arkansas might just survive.
5. Kristi Noem (R – South Dakota): Low Taxes, Flat Budgets, and No Apologies
No surprises here. Noem, also at 69, has been steering South Dakota with the kind of fiscal discipline that politicians in D.C. couldn’t understand if it slapped them in the face. Noem’s state is a tax haven with a flat budget. Simple, effective, and smart—proof that governing doesn’t have to be complicated. Less government equals more freedom. Period.
And Now, the Governors Failing Hard (You Know Who They Are)
The Cato Institute didn’t hold back on the losers, and neither will I. Tim Walz from Minnesota scored a miserable 19, dead last, earning him a well-deserved “F.” And he’s not alone—Tony Evers (Wisconsin) and John Carney (Delaware) are also flunking fiscal policy with scores in the low 30s. These guys seem to think that endless government spending will somehow create prosperity. Spoiler alert: It won’t.
They’re not just wasting money—they’re actively making life worse for their citizens. While Iowa and Nebraska are proving that freedom fuels prosperity, these tax-and-spend governors are busy dragging their states into the fiscal abyss. Walz, Evers, and their ilk are the reason why people are fleeing to states like Florida and Texas, chasing lower taxes and fewer regulations.
The Bottom Line
Governors like Kim Reynolds, Jim Pillen, and Kristi Noem aren’t perfect, but at least they’re trying to shrink government and give people a shot at living free. Meanwhile, folks like Tim Walz and Tony Evers are doubling down on the same failed policies that are tanking the economy nationwide.
If we don’t start electing more leaders who know how to cut taxes, trim budgets, and keep government interference to a minimum, we’re in for a rude awakening. Inflation, debt, and authoritarian policies aren’t going to fix themselves.
Now is the time to wake up, folks. Don’t wait for the next financial collapse to catch you off guard. Take back control of your future before these politicians bankrupt it. Download Bill Brocius’s “Seven Steps to Protect Yourself from Bank Failure” now—it’s free, and it could save your bacon when the next crisis hits.
Stay sharp out there. The government sure isn’t going to protect you, so you better learn how to protect yourself.
