ROUNDUP: Democratic Governors Elect Gov. Kelly As DGA Chair for 2025 and Gov. Beshear as Vice Chair for 2025 and Chair-Elect for 2026

ROUNDUP: Democratic Governors Elect Gov. Kelly As DGA Chair for 2025 and Gov. Beshear as Vice Chair for 2025 and Chair-Elect for 2026

This weekend, America’s Democratic governors voted to elect Kansas Governor Laura Kelly to continue serving as Chair of the Democratic Governors Association, and for Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to serve as Vice Chair in 2025 and Chair-Elect in 2026.

The vote comes as Democratic governors are proving to be a vital force in charting a path forward for both the Democratic Party and the country, with coverage from Fox News and POLITICO highlighting how Dem Govs offer a “focus of progress and protection” and rank among the party’s “rising stars.”

Read more about the election of  Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear as DGA Chair and Vice Chair:

• Washington Post: Two Democratic governors on how to win in red states
• DGA Chair Gov. Laura Kelly: “…all the governors I know have focused like lasers on that and are very successful in bringing in lots of new capital investment, lots of new jobs, and so we’re providing the foundation and the tax base to allow us then to take care of the kitchen table needs of the people in our state.”DGA Vice Chair Gov. Andy Beshear: “Governing well and winning is about getting things done. It’s about moving the needle that improves people’s lives. It’s about getting that next business to choose our state. It’s about ultimately providing better wages for our people, lower cost of insulin.”
• Topeka Capital-Journal: Democratic Governors Association selects Laura Kelly to lead group in 2025.
• “In a news release announcing Kelly’s election to chair, the DGA praised Kelly for stewardship of the economy, her work as DGA vice chair and chair in supporting Democratic campaigns and her ability to work with Republicans and Democrats to ‘build common ground.’ Though the top of the ticket went to Republicans, Democratic governors faired well. No incumbent Democratic governor lost a race in 2024.’
• USA Today: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear voted ‘chair-elect’ of Democratic Governors Association
• “Gov. Andy Beshear will be a key player in national Democratic politics as the party picks up the pieces after its gut-punch loss to Republican Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. The Kentucky Democrat was selected to be vice chairman of the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) in 2025 at the group’s annual meeting Saturday in Los Angeles. Beshear was also voted to be chair-elect in 2026, which sets him up to lead the organization during a cycle where Democrats will be looking to wage a comeback.”
• Lexington Herald Leader: Beshear elected to serve as 2026 chair of national Democratic Governors Association
• “‘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,’ Beshear said. ‘I’m excited to build on that record to help elect and reelect Democratic governors across the country so we can continue making a positive difference in our states.’” 

Read more about how Democratic governors are offering the party a course forward:

• POLITICO: Democratic governors (and 2028 hopefuls) gather to chart path under a Trump administration
• “Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, who chairs the Democratic Governors Association, emphasized that the meeting was focused on the near term: keeping New Jersey and flipping Virginia in 2025, and on the ‘huge contingent of governors races in ’26.’”
• Fox News: Democrat governors spotlight they’re the ‘last line of defense’ against Trump
• “As they gather for their annual winter meeting, the nation’s Democratic governors say they’re the ‘best path forward’ for a party now out of power in the nation’s capital, and the ‘last line of defense’ as President-elect Trump returns to the White House.”

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