Twenty-six states are run by Republican governors and twenty-four by Democrat governors, and the ten largest cities have Democrat mayors, with the sole exception of San Diego.  The relative approach to governance in these states and cities has become increasingly disparate.  The purpose of government is to keep us safe and improve our lives.  Factually, how are the two groups of states and cities doing?

COVID-19

Deaths in blue states were 45 per 100,000, while deaths in red states were 21 per 100,000.  This means that a person was more than twice as likely to die from COVID-19 in a state with a Democrat governor.

When the legislatures and tenure are examined, the results become even worse for Democrat leadership.  The two Republican states in the top 10 are the traditionally Democrat states of Massachusetts and Maryland, where Democrats continue to control both houses of the Legislature.  Basically, all the states with the highest death rates were Democrat, or historically Democrat with the legislatures in Democrat hands.  Throw into the mix the District of Columbia (78/100,000) and the picture becomes dismal.

Crime

All top ten cities for crime are run by Democrats.  Detroit has been the most dangerous city in the nation for four years running.  The average for these ten cities is 1,560 violent crimes per 100,000 people.  By contrast, the nation's eighth largest city, Republican-led San Diego, has only 370 victims per 100,000 and has been designated by the FBI as the safest city in America.

It's too early to get an accurate fix on the George Floyd riots, but anecdotally, the severest damage has occurred in the Democrat-controlled cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, New York, and D.C.  Insurance claims are estimated to be "catastrophic."

Taxes

On average, income taxes are 30% higher in blue states, with California, New York, Minnesota, Oregon, New Jersey, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia leading the pack.  If you like paying taxes, the following Democrat cities have an additional city income tax: New York City; the District of Columbia; Louisville; Birmingham; Baltimore; Detroit; Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo.; Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Toledo, Ohio; and Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh, Pa.

A Google search came up with no Republican mayor that imposed a city income tax.

Illegal aliens

Over 67% of the county's illegal aliens live in Democrat-run cities.  Eight of the top ten cities with an illegal population have Democrat mayors, with one Republican and one progressive independent.  Six self-designate as sanctuaries.  Texas has a state law forbidding sanctuary cities or it would likely be eight out of ten.  Nearly a quarter of the nation's illegal aliens reside in California, where they constitute more than 6% of the population.  (Other estimates are far higher.)

Homelessness

New York has the highest number (47) of homeless per 10,000 residents, followed by Hawaii (46), Oregon (35), California (33), Washington (30), Massachusetts (29), Nevada (25), with Colorado and Maine both at 19.  All blue states.  In contrast, the large red states of Florida (15), Arizona (14), and Texas (9) come in much lower.  The remaining red states are (13) and below.

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, an average of 568,000 individuals were homeless in 2019.  Over one third of those live in the three blue states bordering the Pacific Ocean, the citadel of progressive Democrats.  Add in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, and you have well over half of the nation's homeless in eight Democrat states.  Outside Hawaii and Southern California, it's certainly not the weather that attracts the homeless to these states.

Income Disparity and Poverty

When cost of living is taken into account, California has the highest poverty rate (18.1), putting almost seventeen percent of California residents below the poverty line.  California poverty is exceeded only by Washington, D.C. (18.2).  Overall, blue-state poverty is 4.2% greater than in red states, but the picture become bleaker when income disparity is examined.  Income disparity is 7% greater in blue states than in red states; however, only four states and D.C. are above the national average (.486) as measured by the Gini coefficient.  D.C. (.542), New York (.523), Louisiana (.499), Connecticut (.495), and California (.490) substantially skew the average upward for the rest of the nation.  Ironically, these bastions of progressivism constantly harangue the rest of us about the evils of income disparity.

There seems to be but one conclusion.

Democrat politicians can't govern their way out of a wet paper bag.