California Governor Gavin Newsom has a habit of taking to his childish social media accounts, and boasting about how great his state has fared under his leadership, especailly compared to red states like Texas and Florida, which he takes every opportunity to badmouth in the media as well.
Oddly, he never mentions the statistics put out annually by U-Haul that have a predictable trend in recent years with blue states taking many of the prime spots, and California has once again garnered the top spot on it although it's hardly something any governor would boast about.
If this story seems familiar to you, there's a reason for that; RedState has written previously on this trend, most recently by my colleague Sister Toldjah who covered the 2023 U-Haul survey results
As we wrote in December 2025, blue state governors and legislatures are not exactly covering themselve in glory by attempting to block President Trump's no tax on tips and several other policies to help out the pocketbooks of the Americans in their states - something for which Speaker Mike Johnson (LA-01) called them out. And before you ask, no, it doesn't help sidestep the major mismanagement if you're rich.
And RedState's Jennifer Van Laar's latest investigative reporting on the 2025 Palisades Fire catastrophe shows that far too many Californians aren't dreamin'; instead, they're living in a nightmare of Newsom's making:
The scope is massive... destruction stretching all the way to the ocean pic.twitter.com/UpRnjcZyr3
— Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) January 7, 2026
‘Outrageous’: Speaker Johnson, Workers Blast Latest Blue-State Ploy to Block Trump Promise
With the turning of the calendar page to January 2026, U-Haul has just released the new Growth Index - and unfortunately for Gov. Hair Gel and the Golden State - the 2025 numbers don't lie; this makes its sixth year in a row at number 50, that is, dead last--or at the top of the losers list, depending on how you look at it.
Our pal Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-03) posted about the new polling on X about CA having the "highest rate of people moving out" - not in:
U-Haul just released its annual "Growth Index" for all 50 states. For the 6th straight year, California is ranked 50th. We have the highest rate of people moving out versus moving in.
— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) January 6, 2026
Newsom has turned the greatest state in the country into the most popular state to leave.
Newsom, though, isn't the only blue state governor who will find embarrassing tidings in U-Haul's number crunching for 2025. Remember PEnnsylvania's Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro, the almost-vice presidential pick in 2024? Yeah, he and the Keystone State join NJ, NY, and MD near the bottom of the barrel (44th place) for growth in 2025:
Pennsylvania ranks 44th in U-Haul's 2025 Growth Index--with more residents leaving Pa.for other states. The leading states: Texas and Florida. Biggest losers: California, Illinois, NY, and NY.
— NathanBenefield (@NathanBenefield) January 6, 2026
So why does @GovernorShapiro want to imitate the losers? https://t.co/5cIexcjBEd pic.twitter.com/ecz0dwZX0b
Not a good look, when these state's chief executives appear to be on the heating-up speculation list of who Democrats might look to support during a 2028 run for president.
READ MORE: War of Words Between Josh Shapiro and Kamala Harris Intensifies As 2028 Speculation Heats Up
Progressives Warn Kamala Harris: PA Gov Shapiro a VP Non-Starter
As I said, people seem to be fleeing those states in droves, according to U-Haul's records. Meanwhile, where are a growing number of Americans heading? Why, it's a passel of red states.
TX, FL, NC, TN, and SC make up the top five places where people are moving in the U.S., per the survey. Honestly, I probably did not need to tell you readers what the predominant political party is in those states, right?
It's pretty clear that people are voting with their feet (and their moving vans/vehicles' wheels). No one stays in blue states and cities where they are taxed to death (with more levies on the way, often); they are not able to build their businesses and thrive as they would like. The American people, by and large, are smarter than that, and the numbers don't lie about that fact.
Editor’s Note: Democrat politicians and their radical supporters will do everything they can to interfere with and threaten ICE agents enforcing our immigration laws.
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