The Weekender (3/10/23)

Weekender

Welcome to the Democratic Governors Association’s Friday newsletter, the Weekender.

Let’s get started.

Kentucky’s GOP Primary Gets UnBEARably Nasty 
Kentucky’s already crowded and divisive Republican primary for governor is getting even nastier, as a group backing Kelly Craft is spending over $600,000 on new negative TV ads calling Daniel Cameron a “soft establishment teddy bear.”In a sign that this extreme intraparty battle is just ramping up, the Lexington Herald Leader added that “Though Commonwealth PAC is the first to log any spending in 2023, other super PACs, including many other unauthorized campaign committees, have already formed to bolster candidates on the Republican side this year.”Meanwhile, Governor Beshear remains focused on attracting new businesses to Kentucky and fixing everyday problems, as polling shows he has a strong 61% job approval across party lines.

Gov. Cooper Lays Out Plans to Build “Enduring Prosperity” as North Carolina Faces a “Pivotal Moment” 

This week, in his State of the State address, Gov. Roy Cooper laid out the bright path forward for North Carolina and urged lawmakers to keep funding opportunities for all North Carolinians. The governor presented his top priorities for the state, including investments in K-12 education, mental health services, and public safety. Cooper also praised legislators for reaching a compromise on expanding Medicaid but urged them to enact the plan without delay.Gov. Cooper also took the time to warn Republicans in the state legislature of the dangers the state faces if they choose to pursue legislation that would roll back access to abortion and restrict voting. Gov. Cooper has successfully vetoed similar legislation over his time in office, acting as the strongest line of defense against the MAGA Republicans’ extreme agenda.

Read more here.

WATCH: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul discussing on CNN how she is standing up for abortion rights and fighting to make New York safer.


“Getting this done will help people pay the bills, put food on the table, and afford essentials like groceries and school supplies. It will ensure seniors can keep more of what they’ve earned over a lifetime of hard work and put money back in the pockets of 700,000 working families.” – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on signing a $1 billion tax cut for seniors and working families, which also delivers on one of her signature promises to end the retirement tax.

“They’re dragging our kids down into the pit of hell.” 

Who said it? Send your answer to press@dga.net, and we’ll reveal the answer in the next Weekender!

If you guessed Ron Peri last week, you’re correct! Peri was just appointed to a new oversight board by Gov. Ron DeSantis despite his previous hateful comments and views.