National Governors Association

National Governors Association
National Governors Association
Chair	Spencer Cox (R-UT)
Vice Chair	Jared Polis (D-CO)
Executive Committee	Roy Cooper (D-NC); Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM); Kathy Hochul (D-NY); Eric Holcomb (R-IN); Phil Murphy (D-NJ); Kevin Stitt (R-OK); Chris Sununu (R-NH)
Founded	1908; 116 years ago
Headquarters	444 N Capitol St; Suite 267; Washington, D.C., U.S.
Affiliated	Bipartisan
Website
	NGA.org/about
	Politics of United States; Political parties; Elections;

The National Governors Association (NGA) is an American political organization founded in 1908. The association's members are the governors of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths. Members come from across the political spectrum. NGA declares itself as nonpartisan.

The NGA serves as a public policy liaison between state governments and the federal government. NGA provides governors and their senior staff members with services that range from representing states on Capitol Hill and at the White House when discussing federal issues to developing policy reports on state programs and hosting networking seminars for state executive branch officials. The NGA Center for Best Practices focuses on state innovations and best practices on issues that range from education and health to technology, welfare reform, and the environment. NGA also provides management and technical assistance to both new and incumbent governors.^{[citation needed]}

The current NGA chair is Governor Spencer Cox of Utah, a Republican who previously served as Vice Chair from 2022 to 2023.^[1] The current vice chair is Governor Jared Polis of Colorado, a Democrat.^[2]

History

In 1907, the Inland Waterways Commission thought it necessary to ask the Conference of Governors to provide both state and national views relating to practical questions dealing with natural resources utilization and management in the Progressive Era.^[3] The NGA represents the governors of the fifty U.S. states and five U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). It is funded primarily by state dues, federal grants and contracts, and private contributions.^[4]

NGA adopted a policy in 1977 formalizing its standard practice dating back to 1941: The position of NGA chair alternates yearly between Republican and Democratic governors, so that neither party can control the position for two consecutive years. The vice chair is of the opposite party to the chair, and generally assumes the role of NGA chair the following year.

As of January 2024^[update], Bill Clinton is the only former NGA chair to become president of the United States. Janet Napolitano became the first female chair in 2006.^[5]

The association's declaration of bipartisanship has been challenged after incidents such as statements made at the White House and on air by Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal during the 2014 annual summer meeting.^[6]

In February 2020, then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned the National Governors Association that the Chinese Communist Party was actively attempting to influence U.S. policy through state governors and local officials.^[7] In October 2020, the United States Department of State discontinued U.S. participation in the U.S.-China Governors Forum to Promote Sub-National Cooperation due to alleged attempts by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, a front organization for the CCP's United Front Work Department, to "malignly influence state and local leaders" in the U.S.^[8]^[9]

Chairs

Formally adopted as policy in 1977, chairs preside for a one-year term and alternate party affiliation, so the same party never serves for two terms in a row.^[10]

The following states have never produced an NGA chair: Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, and South Dakota; nor have any of the five territories: American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Years	Chair	State	Party
1908–1911	Augustus Willson	Kentucky	Republican
1911–1914	Francis McGovern	Wisconsin	Republican
1914–1915	David Walsh	Massachusetts	Democratic
1915–1916	William Spry	Utah	Republican
1916–1918	Arthur Capper	Kansas	Republican
1918–1919	Emerson Harrington	Maryland	Democratic
1919	Henry Allen	Kansas	Republican
1919–1922	William Sproul	Pennsylvania	Republican
1922–1924	Channing Cox	Massachusetts	Republican
1924–1925	Lee Trinkle	Virginia	Democratic
1925–1927	Owen Brewster	Maine	Republican
1927–1928	Adam McMullen	Nebraska	Republican
1928–1930	George Dern	Utah	Democratic
1930–1932	Norman Case	Rhode Island	Republican
1932–1933	John Pollard	Virginia	Democratic
1933–1934	Jim Rolph	California	Republican
1934–1936	Paul McNutt	Indiana	Democratic
1936–1937	George Peery	Virginia	Democratic
1937–1939	Robert Cochran	Nebraska	Democratic
1939–1940	Lloyd Stark	Missouri	Democratic
1940–1941	William Vanderbilt	Rhode Island	Republican
1941–1942	Harold Stassen	Minnesota	Republican
1942–1943	Herbert O'Conor	Maryland	Democratic
1943–1944	Leverett Saltonstall	Massachusetts	Republican
1944–1945	Herbert Maw	Utah	Democratic
1945–1946	Ed Martin	Pennsylvania	Republican
1946–1947	Millard Caldwell	Florida	Democratic
1947–1948	Horace Hildreth	Maine	Republican
1948–1949	Lester Hunt	Wyoming	Democratic
1949	William Lane	Maryland	Democratic
1949–1950	Frank Carlson	Kansas	Republican
1950–1951	Frank Lausche	Ohio	Democratic
1951–1952	Val Peterson	Nebraska	Republican
1952–1953	Allan Shivers	Texas	Democratic
1953–1954	Daniel Thornton	Colorado	Republican
1954–1955	Bob Kennon	Louisiana	Democratic
1955–1956	Arthur Langlie	Washington	Republican
1956–1957	Thomas Stanley	Virginia	Democratic
1957–1958	William Stratton	Illinois	Republican
1958–1959	LeRoy Collins	Florida	Democratic
1959–1960	Cale Boggs	Delaware	Republican
1960–1961	Stephen McNichols	Colorado	Democratic
1961–1962	Wesley Powell	New Hampshire	Republican
1962–1963	Albert Rosellini	Washington	Democratic
1963–1964	John Anderson	Kansas	Republican
1964–1965	Grant Sawyer	Nevada	Democratic
1965–1966	John Reed	Maine	Republican
1966–1967	William Guy	North Dakota	Democratic
1967–1968	John Volpe	Massachusetts	Republican
1968–1969	Buford Ellington	Tennessee	Democratic
1969–1970	John Love	Colorado	Republican
1970–1971	Warren Hearnes	Missouri	Democratic
1971–1972	Arch Moore	West Virginia	Republican
1972–1973	Marvin Mandel	Maryland	Democratic
1973–1974	Daniel Evans	Washington	Republican
1974–1975	Cal Rampton	Utah	Democratic
1975–1976	Robert Ray	Iowa	Republican
1976–1977	Cecil Andrus	Idaho	Democratic
1977	Reubin Askew	Florida	Democratic
1977–1978	William Milliken	Michigan	Republican
1978–1979	Julian Carroll	Kentucky	Democratic
1979–1980	Otis Bowen	Indiana	Republican
1980–1981	George Busbee	Georgia	Democratic
1981–1982	Richard Snelling	Vermont	Republican
1982–1983	Scott Matheson	Utah	Democratic
1983–1984	Jim Thompson	Illinois	Republican
1984–1985	John Carlin	Kansas	Democratic
1985–1986	Lamar Alexander	Tennessee	Republican
1986–1987	Bill Clinton	Arkansas	Democratic
1987–1988	John Sununu	New Hampshire	Republican
1988–1989	Gerald Baliles	Virginia	Democratic
1989–1990	Terry Branstad	Iowa	Republican
1990–1991	Booth Gardner	Washington	Democratic
1991–1992	John Ashcroft	Missouri	Republican
1992–1993	Roy Romer	Colorado	Democratic
1993–1994	Carroll Campbell	South Carolina	Republican
1994–1995	Howard Dean	Vermont	Democratic
1995–1996	Tommy Thompson	Wisconsin	Republican
1996–1997	Bob Miller	Nevada	Democratic
1997–1998	George Voinovich	Ohio	Republican
1998–1999	Tom Carper	Delaware	Democratic
1999–2000	Mike Leavitt	Utah	Republican
2000–2001	Parris Glendening	Maryland	Democratic
2001–2002	John Engler	Michigan	Republican
2002–2003	Paul Patton	Kentucky	Democratic
2003–2004	Dirk Kempthorne	Idaho	Republican
2004–2005	Mark Warner	Virginia	Democratic
2005–2006	Mike Huckabee	Arkansas	Republican
2006–2007	Janet Napolitano	Arizona	Democratic
2007–2008	Tim Pawlenty	Minnesota	Republican
2008–2009	Ed Rendell	Pennsylvania	Democratic
2009–2010	Jim Douglas	Vermont	Republican
2010	Joe Manchin	West Virginia	Democratic
2010–2011	Christine Gregoire	Washington	Democratic
2011–2012	Dave Heineman	Nebraska	Republican
2012–2013	Jack Markell	Delaware	Democratic
2013–2014	Mary Fallin	Oklahoma	Republican
2014–2015	John Hickenlooper	Colorado	Democratic
2015–2016	Gary Herbert	Utah	Republican
2016–2017	Terry McAuliffe	Virginia	Democratic
2017–2018	Brian Sandoval	Nevada	Republican
2018–2019	Steve Bullock	Montana	Democratic
2019–2020	Larry Hogan	Maryland	Republican
2020–2021	Andrew Cuomo	New York	Democratic
2021–2022	Asa Hutchinson	Arkansas	Republican
2022–2023	Phil Murphy	New Jersey	Democratic
2023–present	Spencer Cox	Utah	Republican

NOTES

Cecil Andrus resigned as Governor of Idaho upon being confirmed as Secretary of the Interior in January 1977. Florida's Reubin Askew completed Andrus' unexpired term as chair.
Joe Manchin resigned as Governor of West Virginia when he was elected to the United States Senate in November 2010. Washington's Christine Gregoire completed Manchin's unexpired term as chair.

References

^ "Gov. Cox is launching an initiative as he takes over National Governors Association". ABC4 Utah. July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
^ "Gov. Jared Polis elected vice chair of the National Governors Association". The Denver Post. July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
^ Inland Waterways Commission Recommendations... Inquiries in Progress Letter to the President, October 5, 1907: ..."3. We are of opinion that the conference may best be held in the national capital next winter, and that the conferees should comprise the governors of all our States and Territories, a limited number of delegates to be appointed by each governor, and representatives from leading organizations of both State and national scope engaged in dealing with natural resources or with practical questions relating thereto... In his Memphis address on October 4 the President announced the intention of calling such a conference, and on November 13 he issued invitations to the governors of the States and Territories to meet at the White House May 13–15, 1908;..."
^ FAQ Archived December 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine National Governors Association website, "How is NGA funded?" Retrieved December 8, 2013.
^ Janet Napolitano, Sourcewatch, June 7, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
^ National Governors Association showing deep Republican, Democratic divisions, Washington Post, Dan Balz, February 25, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
^ Allen-Ebrahimian, Bethany (February 19, 2020). "How a Chinese think tank rates all 50 U.S. governors". Axios. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
^ "U.S. designates Chinese body a foreign mission, quits local cooperation agreement". Reuters. October 28, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
^ "Designation of the National Association for China's Peaceful Unification (NACPU) as a Foreign Mission of the PRC". United States Department of State. October 28, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
^ "Historical Timeline". National Governors Association Centennial. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2008.