New York Times Opinion: “Governors Should Be the Face of the Democratic Party”

New York Times Opinion: “Governors Should Be the Face of the Democratic Party”

“Spotlighting governors, their stories of leadership and of delivering for their states, may be the party’s best shot at reconnecting with the American people.”

Today, the New York Times Opinion detailed how DGA Chair Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and other Democratic governors are leading the party forward by delivering on kitchen-table issues that voters care about, like lowering costs, growing the economy, and improving public education.

The piece highlighted how Gov. Kelly’s steady, middle-of-the-road leadership turned a fiscal disaster into a balanced budget, brought major economic development to Kansas, and made historic investments in public education — a model for Democratic leaders as the party finds its way forward.

As the column notes, “Ms. Kelly and her fellow governors could well be the ones to lead Democrats toward a Kansas-style comeback.”

Read more from the New York Times about how Democratic governors are leading the party forward:

• As the party scrambles to find its path forward and identify the faces and voices who can lead the way […] Spotlighting governors, their stories of leadership and of delivering for their states, may be the party’s best shot at reconnecting with the American people.

• But to win back the legions of voters who aren’t hard partisans, or who feel that Democrats have abandoned the working class — not to mention people inclined to tune out politics altogether — Democrats need to convince the public that they care about kitchen-table issues and, most basically, that they can deliver.

• Far from the Washington circus, Democratic governors are constantly test-driving a smorgasbord of concrete solutions. Ms. Whitmer established the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, expanding affordable access to college. In Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro did away with the college-degree requirement for many state jobs. Wes Moore in Maryland established a one-year public service program for high-school graduates. In Arizona, Katie Hobbs started a microbusiness loan program. And on it goes.

• When it comes to cutting through partisan dysfunction and getting stuff done, Ms. Kelly provides strong proof of concept.

• As the head of the Democratic Governors Association, Ms. Kelly is thinking a lot lately about how governors can help the party regain its mojo. “We have been working with other groups that are interested in electing Democrats and telling them what we’re doing that’s working,” she said.

• Some of the takeaways from her experience echo common themes in the conversation among Democrats. She believes the winning path is “to stay focused on the issues that matter to everybody” regardless of party. “Which is exactly what we did. We focused like a laser on the economy. ‘It’s the economy, stupid!’” she said, citing the Clinton-era slogan. “That still is true. It probably always is, because pocketbook issues are what drive people.”

• This is the nature of the job for governors, she said. “We have to keep the trains running.”

• Going forward, Democrats would do well to spotlight those trains and the governors driving them. Among other moves, party leaders should be aggressively promoting their outside-the-Beltway players across a range of platforms.

• This could mean getting Mr. Moore talking to Joe Rogan about his love for Ravens football, and for public-service programs. Getting Andy Beshear on Theo Von’s podcast chatting about Kentucky becoming the nation’s leader in access to addiction treatment, Jared Polis of Colorado on TikTok talking Taylor Swift and renewable energy, Ms. Kelly on talk radio discussing her Office of Rural Prosperity. Whatever their sweet spots, the governors are well suited to drive the message that Democrats are out there getting stuff done.

• Considering the sorry state of the national party, Ms. Kelly and her fellow governors could well be the ones to lead Democrats toward a Kansas-style comeback.

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