Is Texas Trailing Behind California on Economic Growth?

Our weekly check-in with the Texas Truth-O-Meter.

By Alain StephensAugust 24, 2016 8:47 am

Ever-proud Texas has lately been bested in job gains and economic oomph by California, a Texas Democrat pokes.

Julián Castro, the U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development, brought up California during the Texas Democratic Party’s state convention after noting that as governor, Republican Rick Perry taunted the west coast state for its economy not matching his home state’s pace.

“Today,” the former San Antonio mayor told reporters June 17, 2016, “California is kicking our butt, creating more jobs and more economic growth than Texas. Maybe what we need to do is trade in Gov. Jerry Brown,” of California, “for Gov. Greg Abbott and get better results.”

Is that a fact? Gardner Selby of the PolitiFact Texas fact-checking team has the answer.

Castro made a similar declaration in his evening keynote speech, telling delegates: “This is what happens when a party doesn’t believe in government in the first place but has absolute power over its people for decades. You know, they used to brag that Texas was doing so much better than big, bad, liberal California. But Texas Republicans managed to bungle that too. Because today California is kicking our butt in job development and economic growth.”

Hear how Castro’s claim scored in the player above.