Maryland and Virginia’s governors can take some pride in this year’s Forbes rankings of the best states to do business.
Both states climbed on the annual ranking, with Virginia jumping one spot to No. 5 while Maryland gained four spots to land at No. 26. D.C. was not included in the ranking.
North Carolina came in at No. 1 on the list, up from second last year, with Texas, Utah and Nebraska rounding out top five.
Maryland has seldom ranked high among the best business states, but it was No. 14 in 2010 before falling in recent yeas, particularly under former Gov. Martin O’Malley. Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, has made improving that climate a major part of his focus in the Free State.