Democratic Governors Elect Gov. Kelly As DGA Chair for Full Term in 2025, Elect Gov. Beshear as Chair-Elect for 2026
Democratic Governors Elect Gov. Kelly As DGA Chair for Full Term in 2025, Elect Gov. Beshear as Chair-Elect for 2026
Today, America’s Democratic governors voted to elect Kansas Governor Laura Kelly to continue serving as Chair of the Democratic Governors Association for a full one-year term in 2025. The governors also voted for Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to serve as Vice Chair in 2025 and Chair-Elect in 2026. The vote occurred at the DGA’s Annual Meeting held in Los Angeles, California.
Gov. Kelly started 2024 as DGA Vice Chair and became Chair in August when Gov. Walz joined the national ticket. As Chair, Gov. Kelly led the DGA for the final stretch of the 2024 election, successfully holding every state with a Democratic governorship.
“I am honored to be elected DGA Chair and to continue guiding Democratic candidates for governor to victory,” said DGA Chair Gov. Laura Kelly. “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. 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. It’s what has worked for me in Kansas, where I’ve been able to bring both parties together to attract record business investments, cut costs, improve public education, and stand up for fundamental freedoms, and it’s what works in states across the country. We’re keeping our foot on the gas and ready to get to work in 2025.”
“I am grateful to have been elected as Vice Chair for the 2025 cycle and Chair-Elect for 2026 by my Democratic governor colleagues, and look forward to working with Gov. Laura Kelly and the DGA to continue to grow our ranks of Democratic governors in the years to come,” said DGA Vice Chair and Chair-Elect Gov. Andy Beshear. “In Kentucky, we’ve shown that when you focus on bringing people together and the fundamental challenges families are facing every day, Democrats can win anywhere. I’m excited to build on that record to help elect and re-elect Democratic governors across the country so we can continue making a positive difference in our states.”
BACKGROUND ON DGA CHAIR GOV. KELLY:
Gov. Laura Kelly brings together both parties to get things done for Kansas. She has brought jobs, businesses, opportunities, and record economic success to Kansas. During Gov. Kelly’s first year as DGA Vice Chair in 2023, the DGA helped lead the charge to re-elect Gov. Andy Beshear in deep red Kentucky, and after taking over as Chair, Gov. Kelly led the DGA as we achieved our top goal of holding on to every Democratic governorship, including in North Carolina and Washington, with both Josh Stein and Bob Ferguson achieving historic victories.
In her first term as governor, Gov. Kelly fulfilled her promise to put Kansas back on track after years of fiscal mismanagement, harmful budget deficits, and underfunded schools. She’s worked with both parties to balance the budget, fully fund schools, grow the economy, and rebuild the state’s infrastructure. Under Gov. Kelly’s leadership, Kansas has seen a record of over $20.4 billion dollars of investment in new business initiatives and the creation and retention of over 70,000 full-time jobs, including the state’s largest economic development project in history with a $4 billion investment and up to 4,000 direct new jobs.
Previously, Gov. Kelly was executive director of the Kansas Recreation & Park Association and served in the Kansas Senate, where she built a reputation as a no-nonsense leader who worked with both Republicans and Democrats to build common ground and get things done.
After making history in her decisive second-term victory in a state Trump won, Gov. Kelly is building on her accomplishments and charting a bold agenda for Kansans.
BACKGROUND ON DGA VICE CHAIR AND CHAIR-ELECT GOV. BESHEAR:
Gov. Andy Beshear defied the odds by winning reelection in 2023, beating his opponent by historic margins as a Democrat in deep-red Kentucky by focusing on the issues that matter most to Kentuckians – strengthening the economy, fully funding public education, fixing roads and bridges, and protecting fundamental freedoms.
Under his leadership, Kentucky has secured more than 1,000 private-sector projects, and created more than 57,500 jobs. That includes the new Ford battery plant in Glendale – the largest economic development project in state history. Gov. Beshear has brought both parties together to score big wins for Kentucky, including legalizing sports betting and making key investments in infrastructure.
In his second term, Governor Beshear is working hard to build on those accomplishments and keep Kentucky moving forward by continuing to prioritize those core issues.
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