The Democratic Party’s emerging priority: Save the governors

There is an expectation that more money and support will trickle down to candidates for secretaries of state and attorney general, as well as the governor's races in key battleground states. In states where President Joe Biden narrowly won in 2020, the Democratic governors have made their roles as bulwarks for free elections a point of emphasis.

"My entire donating life has always been centered around Congress, but I really think that if you care about democracy, you need to worry about these governors."

A coordinated and well-funded push from Democrats centered around these contests would amount to a role-reversal of sorts for a party whose major and grassroots donors are often criticized for sinking large sums into long-shot candidates for the House and Senate.

Morgan Jackson, a senior, said that Republicans figured out that if you can rule locally, you can control a lot of the federal process.

A lot of the Democratic donor base didn't see governor's races as sexy, but I think we're going to see historic investments this year.

Interviews with a dozen Democratic donors, bundlers and donor advisers echoed that sentiment, with many citing the intersection of gubernatorial races with certification of the 2024 presidential results. The Democratic Association of Secretaries of State, a group that focuses on electing Democrats to these offices, was given $125 million by George Soros, a megadonor who wanted to focus on pro-democracy efforts.

The party's major campaign institutions say they haven't felt like this before. American Bridge 21st Century is launching a new super PAC called Bridge to Democracy, which will focus on races related to election administration.

Guy Cecil, chair of Priorities USA, said that the governor's races are must-wins for those that care about the presidential election.

Democrats say they can prioritize the offices of the governor and state elections chiefs without hurting the Senate and House contests. Some in the party see the increased focus on governor contests as a tacit acknowledgement that they are unlikely to keep control of the House in the foreseeable future.

One New York-based Democratic donor adviser said that there was a real pessimism amongst donors. A Washington, D.C.-based bundler said that the Save the House messaging is not working for high-level donors.

The party failed to pass voting rights legislation this past year. Without legislative action, Democrats are hoping that governors will act as a blockade of sorts on GOP-led laws to further dial back voting expansions, restrict voting access and curtail particulation in future elections.

After challenging Trump-inspired election challenges and a controversial audit in her state, the Arizona Secretary of State became a national figure and regular on cable TV. Nearly 50 lawsuits have been involved in the 2020 election that involved Trump, his allies, or other parties. The governor there appoints a secretary of state so his race has taken on added significance.

Republican-backed bills to change election laws in Wisconsin have been vetoed by Gov. Tony Evers. State Rep. Timothy Ramthun is one of the Republicans running to challenge him.

The Republican attacks on democracy and revelations about Republicans have made it clear that preserving American democracy requires electing Democratic governors in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Kim Rogers, executive director of the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State, said she expects to raise 15 million dollars this cycle. The group raised over a million dollars.

Some donors see the Democratic bench of governors as one of the strongest standard-bearers of the party in the future. Biden and his advisers are adamant that he is running. A New York Democratic donor said that the party could look to governors for the next generation of leadership if he bows out.

The donor said that people are looking for something at the governor's level.

All of the incumbent governors have been re-elected by the Democrats. They lost winnable open-seat contests, including the Virginia race last year. The 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476

There are 36 races for governor this year. The Democratic National Committee received an early commitment from Biden. The Democratic Governors Association and other groups associated with state races were not included in the DNC's transfer.

A DNC official said the committee is helping to fund state coordinated campaigns and pay for additional staff in states like Maryland, where Democrats are likely to flip the governorship, and Kansas, where the party is trying to hang on to the office. Biden will headline a marquee fundraiser. The first lady, Vice President Harris and her spouse are expected to sign quarterly emails and texts.

The DNC is spending $20 million in targeted battleground states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, for voter protection efforts, data and tech infrastructure, and state party-building around governor's races. In New Jersey, where incumbent Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy was reelected in a close-than- expected off-year race, operatives embedded in the state to help protect the vote have been on the ground since last year.

Biden wanted to make sure that the lessons learned from what we did in 20 were used in the upcoming elections.

Biden advisers and other party officials tried to cast the governor's races as important not just for political reasons, but also to maintain key partnerships. Several officials pointed to the support of the incumbent governors in passing the massive infrastructure bill.

The contests in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia coincide with Senate and House races. Along with Michigan, they are some of the places that Biden and other officials have kept very close to in terms of frequent travel. They hold outsized importance for the Democrats.

There is no doubt that we are in a different place when it comes to voting rights in these states and in a number of these states where Democratic governors are critical.