Washington is *still* one of the top states in the country for business, CNBC's updated 2026 rankings say
To hear Evergreen State Republicans talk, Washington is collapsing into a leftie commie dystopia, with a declining business climate, ongoing “capital flight,” and worsening economic prospects, all because the people of Washington have prioritized climate action, tax fairness, and social responsibility over their objections, instead of indulging in the fantasies of Ayn Rand and other libertarian thinkers with extreme views.
Their narrative is utterly false, but it gets repeated and encouraged all too often by lobbies like the Association of Washington Business as well as many local media outlets, rather than getting constantly challenged, as it ought to be.
Well, this week, a fresh challenge to that narrative dropped from a surprising source.
The business-oriented television network CNBC came out with its updated Top States for Business rankings, and guess what? The network continues to rank Washington really high, despite the capital gains tax we enacted a few years ago, the Climate Commitment Act, WA Cares, and everything else Republicans claim is wrecking Washington. If progressive Democratic governance is so awful and bad for business, then why does CNBC keep ranking us as a top state for business? That’s a question that every Republican candidate and right wing business mogul should be getting asked.
https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2026/07/washington-is-still-one-of-the-top-states-in-the-country-for-business-cnbcs-updated-2026-rankings-say.html