The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) is a Washington, D.C.-based 527 organization founded in 1983, consisting of U.S. state and territorial governors affiliated with the Democratic Party.[1] The mission of the organization is to provide party support to the election and re-election of Democratic gubernatorial candidates. The DGA's Republican counterpart is the Republican Governors Association. The DGA is not directly affiliated with the non-partisan National Governors Association.
Democratic Governors Association | |
|---|---|
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| Chair | Tim Walz (MN) |
| Vice Chair | Laura Kelly (KS) |
| Finance Chair | Phil Murphy (NJ) |
| Policy Chair | Gavin Newsom (CA) |
| Founded | 1965 (Democratic Governors Conference) 1983 (Democratic Governors Association) |
| Headquarters | 1225 Eye St NW Ste 1100 Washington, D.C., 20005 |
| Affiliated | Democratic Party |
| State governors | 23 / 50 |
| Territorial governors | 4 / 5 |
| Federal district mayorship | 1 / 1 |
| Website | |
| www | |
Meghan Meehan-Draper is currently the DGA's executive director, Tim Walz is the current chair, and Laura Kelly is the current vice-chair.
History
editPreviously known as the Democratic Governors Conference within the Democratic National Committee, DGA became an independent institution in 1983 under the leadership of then-Virginia Governor Chuck Robb with the help of then-Democratic National Committee Chair Charles Manatt. The purpose of the committee was to raise funds to elect Democrats to governorships and to improve the partnership between Democratic governors and the Democratic leadership of the U.S. Congress. Prior to its current formation in mid-1983, they met as the Democratic Governors Conference.
The DGA played a pivotal role in the election of Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton to the presidency in 1992. Under the leadership of DGA Chair and Hawaii Governor John Waiheʻe, the DGA helped organize Clinton's "winning the West" campaign tour through Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and California. Republicans had handily won all of those states except Washington and Oregon the previous three elections. According to The Washington Post,[2] it was "all but unthinkable to Republicans that the GOP could lose such stalwart pieces of the party's electoral base as Wyoming and Nevada." Clinton lost Wyoming but carried Nevada, Colorado, Montana, Washington, Oregon, and California.
Following the 2023 gubernatorial elections, the Democrats lost one seat in Louisiana held by John Bel Edwards who left office due to term limits in January 2024, and was replaced by Republican Jeff Landry.
Leadership
editThe DGA is led by two elected Democratic governors.
| Office | Officer | State | Since | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chair | Tim Walz | Minnesota | 2023 | |
| Vice Chair | Laura Kelly | Kansas | 2023 | |
List of current Democratic governors
editThere are currently 23 Democratic governors.
| Current governor | State | Past | Took office | Seat up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katie Hobbs |  Arizona | List | 2023 | 2026 |
| Gavin Newsom |  California | List | 2019 | 2026 (term limited) |
| Jared Polis |  Colorado | List | 2019 | 2026 (term limited) |
| Ned Lamont |  Connecticut | List | 2019 | 2026 |
| John Carney |  Delaware | List | 2017 | 2024 (term limited) |
| Josh Green |  Hawaii | List | 2022 | 2026 |
| J. B. Pritzker |  Illinois | List | 2019 | 2026 |
| Laura Kelly |  Kansas | List | 2019 | 2026 (term limited) |
| Andy Beshear |  Kentucky | List | 2019 | 2027 (term limited) |
| Janet Mills |  Maine | List | 2019 | 2026 (term limited) |
| Wes Moore |  Maryland | List | 2023 | 2026 |
| Maura Healey |  Massachusetts | List | 2023 | 2026 |
| Gretchen Whitmer |  Michigan | List | 2019 | 2026 (term limited) |
| Tim Walz |  Minnesota | List | 2019 | 2026 |
| Phil Murphy |  New Jersey | List | 2018 | 2025 (term limited) |
| Michelle Lujan Grisham |  New Mexico | List | 2019 | 2026 (term limited) |
| Kathy Hochul |  New York | List | 2021 (succeeded) | 2026 |
| Roy Cooper |  North Carolina | List | 2017 | 2024 (term limited) |
| Tina Kotek |  Oregon | List | 2023 | 2026 |
| Josh Shapiro |  Pennsylvania | List | 2023 | 2026 |
| Dan McKee |  Rhode Island | List | 2021 (succeeded) | 2026 |
| Jay Inslee |  Washington | List | 2013 | 2024 (retiring) |
| Tony Evers |  Wisconsin | List | 2019 | 2026 |
In addition to governors of U.S. states, the DGA also offers membership to Democratic governors of U.S. territories.
| Current governor | Territory | Past | Took office | Seat up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemanu Peleti Mauga |  American Samoa | List | 2021 | 2024 |
| Lou Leon Guerrero |  Guam | List | 2019 | 2026 (term limited) |
| Pedro Pierluisi |  Puerto Rico | List | 2021 | 2024 |
| Albert Bryan |  U.S. Virgin Islands | List | 2019 | 2026 (term limited) |
In addition, the DGA offers membership to the mayor of the District of Columbia.
| Current mayor | Federal district | Past | Took office | Seat up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muriel Bowser |  District of Columbia | List | 2014 | 2026 |
List of DGA chairs
edit
Executive directors
edit| Term | Director |
|---|---|
| 1983–1989 | Chuck Dolan |
| 1990–1992 | Mark Gearan |
| 1993–1998 | Katie Whelan |
| 1999–2004 | BJ Thornberry |
| 2005–2006 | Penny Lee |
| 2007–2010 | Nathan Daschle |
| 2011–2014 | Colm O'Comartun |
| 2015–2018 | Elisabeth Pearson |
| 2018–present | Noam Lee |
Other offices
editDemocratic governors have served in various other government positions after their tenure. The following list includes recent positions from the DGA's formalization in 1983.
Democratic governors elected as President:
- Jimmy Carter of Georgia, 1977–1981
- Bill Clinton of Arkansas, 1993–2001
Democratic governors appointed to the U.S. Cabinet:
- Reubin Askew of Florida: Trade Representative, 1979–1980 (Carter)
- Bruce Babbitt of Arizona: Secretary of the Interior, 1993–2001 (Clinton)
- Richard Riley of South Carolina: Secretary of Education, 1993–2001 (Clinton)
- Andrew Cuomo of New York (served prior to governorship): Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, 1997–2001 (Clinton)
- Bill Richardson of New Mexico (served prior to governorship): Ambassador to the United Nations, 1997–1998 (Clinton)
- Bill Richardson of New Mexico (served prior to governorship): Secretary of Energy, 1998–2001 (Clinton)
- Gary Locke of Washington: Secretary of Commerce, 2009–2011 (Obama)
- Ray Mabus of Mississippi: Secretary of the Navy, 2009–2017 (Obama)
- Janet Napolitano of Arizona: Secretary of Homeland Security, 2009–2013 (Obama)
- Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas: Secretary of Health and Human Services, 2009–2014 (Obama)
- Tom Vilsack of Iowa: Secretary of Agriculture, 2009–2017 (Obama), and 2021-Present (Biden)
- Jennifer Granholm of Michigan: Secretary of Energy, 2021–Present (Biden)
- Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island: Secretary of Commerce, 2021–Present (Biden)
Democratic governors appointed to ambassadorships:
- James Blanchard of Michigan: Ambassador to Canada, 1993–1996 (Clinton)
- Ray Mabus of Mississippi: Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, 1994–1996 (Clinton)
- Dick Celeste of Ohio: Ambassador to India, 1997–2001 (Clinton)
- Mike Sullivan of Wyoming: Ambassador to Ireland, 1998–2001 (Clinton)
- Gary Locke of Washington: Ambassador to China, 2011–2014 (Obama)
- Phil Murphy of New Jersey (served prior to governorship): Ambassador to Germany, 2009–2013 (Obama)
- Jack Markell of Delaware:Ambassador to Italy 2023–Present, Ambassador to the OECD, 2022–2023 (Biden)
Democratic governors elected as chair of the Democratic National Committee:
- Roy Romer of Colorado, 1997–1999
- Howard Dean of Vermont, 2005–2009
- Tim Kaine of Virginia, 2009–2011
Democratic governors elected to the U.S. Senate:
- Clyde R. Hoey of North Carolina, 1945–1954
- J. Melville Broughton of North Carolina, 1948–1949
- W. Kerr Scott of North Carolina, 1954–1958
- Fritz Hollings of South Carolina, 1966–2005
- Dale Bumpers of Arkansas, 1975–1999
- Wendell Ford of Kentucky, 1974–1999
- David Boren of Oklahoma, 1979–1994
- J. James Exon of Nebraska, 1979–1997
- David Pryor of Arkansas, 1979–1997
- Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, 1985–2015
- Terry Sanford of North Carolina, 1986–1993
- Bob Graham of Florida, 1987–2005
- Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, 1989–2001
- Chuck Robb of Virginia, 1989–2001
- Evan Bayh of Indiana, 1999–2011
- Zell Miller of Georgia, 2000–2005
- Tom Carper of Delaware, 2001–present
- Mark Dayton of Minnesota (served prior to governorship), 2001–2007
- Ben Nelson of Nebraska, 2001–2013
- Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, 2009–present
- Mark Warner of Virginia, 2009–present
- Joe Manchin of West Virginia, 2010–present
- Tim Kaine of Virginia, 2013–present
- Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, 2017–present
- John Hickenlooper of Colorado, 2021–present
Fundraising
editThe DGA reported raising over $20 million in 2011, almost doubling what it raised during the comparable 2007 election cycle. "Because of our strong efforts in 2011, we will have the resources to aid Democratic candidates in targeted states and continue to fight for our core priorities: Jobs. Opportunity. Now.," DGA Chair Martin O'Malley said. Executive Director Colm O'Comartun added, "There is no doubt that we will face a challenging electoral environment in 2012, but our victories in 2011 showed that we know how to wisely and strategically deploy our resources. We are delighted with the continued support of everyone who believes in our mission of creating jobs and expanding opportunity now."[3]
Notable staff alumni
editSeveral former DGA staff members have gone on to hold prominent positions in the government and in the private and non-profit sectors.
Former communications director Jake Siewert served as press secretary for President Bill Clinton for four months from 2000 to 2001. From 2001 to 2009, he worked for Alcoa Inc. In 2009, he became an advisor to then-Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.[4]
Former policy director Sheryl Rose Parker was director of intergovernmental affairs for U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She is currently deputy director of government affairs for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.[5][6]
Former policy communications director Doug Richardson served as director of public affairs at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy in the Obama administration. He is currently public relations director for R&R Partners.[7]
Former executive director Katie Whelan served as a senior advisor to Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. She was an Institute of Politics Fellow at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. She is currently senior public policy advisor for Patton Boggs LLP.[8]
Former executive director Nathan Daschle is the founder and CEO of Ruckus, Inc., an online political engagement platform. He is the son of former U.S. Senator Tom Daschle. In October 2010, Daschle was recognized as one of Time magazine's "40 under 40" rising stars in politics.[9]
Former executive director Mark Gearan was director of communications during the Clinton administration and served as director of the Peace Corps. He served as president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York from 1999 to 2017.[10]
Founding executive director Chuck Dolan is a senior vice president at kglobal and was appointed by President Clinton as vice-chair of the Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. He is a lecturer at the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs.[11]