Democratic governors from around the country gathered for their annual winter meeting, calling it the “best path forward” for the party out of power in the nation's capital and the “last line of defense” when President-elect Trump returns. said. White House.
In last month's election, Democrats lost the White House and the Senate majority and were unable to flip the House.
However, the Democratic Party held its ground in this year's gubernatorial election, continuing to hold 23 out of 50 gubernatorial positions.
The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) states that the governors of each state are “in five of the seven presidential election battleground states (Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) and deep red states such as Kansas and Kentucky. They represent more than half of the U.S. population, including many states.” . ”
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California Governor Gavin Newsom holds a press conference in Los Angeles on September 25, 2024. (Jason Almond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“As Democrats look for a path to victory, Democratic governors are working to earn their voters' trust by responding on the ground as they tackle their biggest daily challenges,” said DGA Executive Director Megan Meehan Draper. “We continue to win,” he said.
And she added, “Who the governor is has never been more important. And with Republicans in control of the federal government, there are 38 gubernatorial races in 2025 and 2026. The stakes will be even higher and more resources will be required, including a difficult election already underway.” In 2025, the goal is to flip Virginia and retain New Jersey. ”
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Democratic governors and state attorneys general played a major role in fighting back through political and legal battles during Trump's first term in the White House, and some are looking to play that role again.
Two of the most high-profile Democratic governors, California's Gavin Newsom and Illinois' J.B. Pritzker, have already begun “anti-Trump” efforts in solid blue states.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is interviewed by FOX News Digital at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 22, 2024. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
And last month, Pritzker and Colorado Governor Jared Polis launched a group called Governors Defending Democracy to resist the incoming Trump administration.
Maria Cardona, a longtime Democratic strategist, pointed to the party's governors as a “focus for progress and protection” as President Trump returns to the White House.
But Cardona, a member of the Democratic National Committee, also said governors “will be showing the American people a path forward.”
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer campaigns on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris on July 25, 2024 in Durham, New Hampshire. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
And they will also be among the potential candidates to garner early attention for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.
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Newsom, Pritzker, Polis, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear are among the candidates for the White House in the upcoming presidential election. He is a person whose name is often mentioned.
