Robert Bentley | Governor of Alabama

Bentley is the most widely popular governor in recent memory. His job approval rating routinely rises into the 70s. His unrivaled influence on public opinion allows him to push through ballot initiatives and other policy priorities that other state leaders would struggle to achieve. His popularity is obviously one of the main reasons he drew only nominal opposition and should easily glide to re-election. On top of that, he’s sitting on a couple million bucks in his campaign account.

His likability among the electorate is probably his greatest strength, but he’s become a better political operator than most people give him credit for. Nobody can understand the weight of the job until they’re actually in it. But in spite of the daily pressures, Bentley’s power and influence has risen over the last three years, especially in the business community after landing major economic development projects like Airbus and Remington.

He is responsible for every executive branch agency — from the finance department to public health and everything in between. So while the legislature is only in session a few months, Bentley is running the show 365 days a year.

Bentley’s biggest power move of the last 12 months was drawing a line in the sand on Medicaid expansion. In the face of enormous political pressure from large institutions, leftwing media outlets and powerful trade associations, Bentley didn’t back down.

That’s what it takes to maintain a spot at the top of the Power & Influence 40.