Most successful & effective former US State Governors

[DINGO Joe]

Jim Hunt and Jerry Brown, in part to their long tenures.  There's no geographic or other organic reason for NC success in going from a poor tobacco-textile state to the Research Triangle-Charlotte dominated economy of today and while the seeds were planted prior to his tenure he certainly was instrumental in it's growth, especially given the Neanderthal elements that still exist in the state.

California is a huge state that has assimilated a huge influx of people and while it does have some geographic and organic advantages, Jerry clearly has been the most skilled at managing the excess.