By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Senior National
Correspondent
While officials and residents of the District of Columbia gear up for a MAGA Republican takeover of the federal government, a large group of Democratic governors met in California to solidify a defense against certain attacks from Donald Trump’s incoming administration, a GOP majority in the House and Senate, and a hostile U.S. Supreme Court.
Democrats elected Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly to serve a full term as Chair of the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) for 2025. The decision came during the DGA’s annual meeting in Los Angeles, where Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was also elected as Vice Chair for 2025 and Chair-Elect for 2026.
Kelly began 2024 as DGA Vice Chair and assumed the Chair role in August after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz joined the Democratic national ticket. Under her leadership, the DGA successfully held onto every Democratic governorship in the 2024 election cycle. This included critical victories in battleground states such as North Carolina, where Josh Stein won, and Washington, where Bob Ferguson secured his governorship.
“I’m proud of the DGA’s success in 2024 and look forward to building on our momentum to win both competitive races in Virginia and New Jersey next year,” Kelly said. “As Democratic governors, we’re delivering real results for the people of our states and making lives better for millions of Americans by focusing on the issues that matter most. We’re keeping our foot on the gas and ready to get to work in 2025.”
During her time as governor, Kelly has focused on bipartisan progress. She attracted over $20 billion in new business investments and created over 70,000 full-time jobs, including the largest economic development project in Kansas history — a $4 billion initiative promising up to 4,000 new jobs. Kelly balanced the state budget, fully funded public schools, improved infrastructure, and brought Kansas back from years of fiscal mismanagement.
Beshear’s election as Vice Chair and Chair-Elect follows his historic re-election in 2023, which he won in deep-red Kentucky by a significant margin. His focus on economic growth has led to over 1,000 private-sector projects and more than 57,500 new jobs, including the state’s largest economic project—a Ford battery plant in Glendale. Beshear’s administration also legalized sports betting and prioritized infrastructure development.
“In Kentucky, we’ve shown that when you focus on the challenges families face every day, Democrats can win anywhere,” Beshear said. “I’m excited to build on that record to help elect and re-elect Democratic governors across the country.”
The DGA’s annual meeting took on added significance with a gathering of prominent Democratic leaders, some of whom are considered potential 2028 presidential candidates. Governors Gavin Newsom of California, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, JB Pritzker of Illinois, Roy Cooper of North Carolina, and Tim Walz of Minnesota attended the Beverly Hilton alongside a packed crowd of donors, strategists, and lobbyists.
Despite the speculation, Kelly remained focused on near-term goals. “Trust me, we’re not thinking beyond ’26 at this point,” she said.
The meeting also highlighted Democratic governors’ plans to navigate the challenges of a second Trump administration. Some governors are preparing to push back against potential policies that threaten civil rights and democracy. “You come for my people; you come through me,” Pritzker asserted. In states like New York and California, governors are laying the groundwork to defend against federal overreach. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James announced plans to counter any regulatory threats from Washington, and Newsom called a special legislative session to prepare for potential clashes with the Trump administration.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee pointed to past experience resisting Trump policies. “We’ve already taken considerable efforts to prevent him from abusing our state financially and targeting us,” Inslee said. “You can’t say we’re ‘Trump-proofed,’ but we’ve made significant progress.”
As Democratic governors prepare for the 2025 and 2026 election cycles, their strategy blends defense against federal policies with a focus on delivering results at the state level.
“We will continue to do what we do, which is work with whoever we need to work with to get what we need for our states,” Kelly said.
