Republican Governors Association | |
---|---|
Chair | Bill Lee (TN) |
Vice Chair | Brian Kemp (GA) |
Policy Chair | Kevin Stitt (OK) |
Executive Committee | Greg Abbott (TX) Greg Gianforte (MT) Eric Holcomb (IN) Sarah Huckabee Sanders (AR) Henry McMaster (SC) Tate Reeves (MS) Kim Reynolds (IA) Glenn Youngkin (VA) |
Founded | 1961 |
Headquarters | 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 250 Washington, DC 20006 |
Affiliated | Republican Party |
State governors | 27 / 50 |
Territorial governors | 0 / 5 |
Federal district mayorship | 0 / 1 |
Website | |
www | |
The Republican Governors Association (RGA) is a Washington, D.C.-based 527 organization founded in 1961, [1] consisting of U.S. state and territorial Republican governors. Its primary objective is to help elect and support Republican governors. [2]
The RGA's Executive Committee for 2024 includes Governors Eric Holcomb of Indiana, Greg Abbott of Texas, Greg Gianforte of Montana, Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas, Tate Reeves of Mississippi, Henry McMaster of South Carolina, Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Kim Reynolds of Iowa, and Glenn Youngkin of Virginia. Additionally, Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee was elected Chairman, Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia was elected Vice Chairman, and Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma was elected Policy Chairman. [3]
Its Democratic counterpart is the Democratic Governors Association. The RGA is not directly affiliated with the non-partisan National Governors Association.
All of the following states are members of the Republican Governors Association:
Current governor | State | Past | Took office | Current term |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kay Ivey | Alabama | List | 2017 | Second term (term-limited in 2026) |
Mike Dunleavy | Alaska | List | 2018 | Second term (term-limited in 2026) |
Sarah Huckabee Sanders | Arkansas | List | 2023 | First term |
Ron DeSantis | Florida | List | 2019 | Second term (term-limited in 2026) |
Brian Kemp | Georgia | List | 2019 | Second term (term-limited in 2026) |
Brad Little | Idaho | List | 2019 | Second term |
Eric Holcomb | Indiana | List | 2017 | Second term (term-limited in 2024) |
Kim Reynolds | Iowa | List | 2017 | Second term (elected to first full term in 2018) |
Jeff Landry | Louisiana | List | 2024 | First term |
Tate Reeves | Mississippi | List | 2020 | Second term (term-limited in 2027) |
Mike Parson | Missouri | List | 2018 | First term (elected to first full term in 2020; term-limited in 2024) |
Greg Gianforte | Montana | List | 2021 | First term |
Jim Pillen | Nebraska | List | 2023 | First term |
Joe Lombardo | Nevada | List | 2023 | First term |
Chris Sununu | New Hampshire | List | 2017 | Fourth term (two-year term; retiring in 2024) |
Doug Burgum | North Dakota | List | 2016 | Second term |
Mike DeWine | Ohio | List | 2019 | Second term (term-limited in 2026) |
Kevin Stitt | Oklahoma | List | 2019 | Second term (term-limited in 2026) |
Henry McMaster | South Carolina | List | 2017 | Second term (elected to first full term in 2018; term-limited in 2026) |
Kristi Noem | South Dakota | List | 2019 | Second term (term-limited in 2026) |
Bill Lee | Tennessee | List | 2019 | Second term (term-limited in 2026) |
Greg Abbott | Texas | List | 2015 | Third term |
Spencer Cox | Utah | List | 2021 | First term |
Phil Scott | Vermont | List | 2017 | Fourth term (two-year term) |
Glenn Youngkin | Virginia | List | 2022 | First term (term-limited in 2025) |
Jim Justice | West Virginia | List | 2017 | Second term (term-limited in 2024) |
Mark Gordon | Wyoming | List | 2019 | Second term (term-limited in 2026) |
Term | Director |
---|---|
1963–1964 | Robert McCall |
1966 | Carl McMurray |
1967–1969 | Richard Fleming |
1971–1975 | Buehl Berentson |
1976–1980 | Ralph Griffith |
1980–1981 | Ronald Rietdorf |
1981 | John Stevens |
1982–1985 | Carol Whitney |
1985–1991 | Michele Davis |
1991–1995 | Chris Henick |
1995–1996 | Paul Hatch |
1996 | LeAnne Wilson |
1997 | Brian Kennedy |
1997–2000 | Clinton Key |
2000–2001 | Michael McSherry |
2001 | Duncan Campbell |
2001–2002 | Clinton Key |
2002–2004 | Edward Tobin |
2004–2005 | Mike Pieper |
2005–2006 | Phillip Musser |
2006–2011 | Nick Ayers |
2011–2014 | Phil Cox |
2014–2018 | Paul Bennecke |
2019–2022 | Dave Rexrode |
2023–present | Sara Craig Gongol |
36 gubernatorial races occurred during the 2018 election cycle. The elections were held on November 6, 2018, with Republicans losing a net of 7 governorships. [4]
In 2017, it sponsored a website The Free Telegraph to promote issues from the perspective of Republicans. [5]
In the 2020 election cycle, 11 states and two territories held elections for governors. The elections were held on November 3, 2020, with Republicans gaining a net of one governorship, Montana, for state elections. [6] This marked the first time Montana elected a Republican governor in 16 years. [7] Former Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced, who was a member of the Republican Governors Association, lost reelection in Puerto Rico, meaning a net loss of one Republican governor for territorial elections. [8] As of 2021, this election meant that only one of five American territories have Republican governors.[ citation needed ]
36 gubernatorial races occurred during the 2022 election cycle. The elections were held on November 8, 2022, with Republicans losing a net of 2 governor ships and lost all territorial governorships.[ citation needed ]
3 gubernatorial races occurred during the 2023 election cycle including Louisiana where Republican Jeff Landry was elected to succeed term-limited Democrat John Bel Edwards and is scheduled to take office in January 2024.
In the 18 months ending June 30, 2010, the RGA raised $58 million, while its counterpart DGA raised $40 million. "Unlike the national political parties and federal candidates, the governors' associations can take in unlimited amounts from corporations," according to Bloomberg, which notes that the RGA recently received $1 million from Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, the parent corporation of Fox News, and $500,000 from WellPoint (now Anthem). [9]
In 2018, the Republican Governors Association announced that $63.2 million was raised in all of 2017, including $27.2 million raised in the final six months of the year, setting a new fundraising record that significantly eclipses the $52.5 million raised in 2013, the last comparable year. [10]
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 2, 2004, in 11 states and two territories. There was no net gain in seats for either party, as Democrats picked up an open seat in Montana while defeating incumbent Craig Benson in New Hampshire, while Republicans defeated incumbent Joe Kernan in Indiana and won Missouri after Bob Holden lost in the primary. These elections coincided with the presidential election.
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 4, 2008, in 11 states and two territories. Prior to the election, eight of the total seats were held by Democrats and five by Republicans. Two governors were prohibited by term limits from seeking re-election in 2008. The only governorship to change party was the open seat in Missouri, which was won by a Democrat after being previously held by a Republican.
The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) is a Washington, D.C.-based 527 organization founded in 1983, consisting of U.S. state and territorial governors affiliated with the Democratic Party. The mission of the organization is to provide party support to the election and re-election of Democratic gubernatorial candidates. The DGA's Republican counterpart is the Republican Governors Association. The DGA is not directly affiliated with the non-partisan National Governors Association. Meghan Meehan-Draper is currently the DGA's executive director, while Tim Walz is the current chair.
United States gubernatorial elections were held in four states. Kentucky and Mississippi held their general elections on November 4. Louisiana held the first round of its jungle primary on October 4 and the runoff on November 15. In addition, California held a recall election on October 7.
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Paul N. Bennecke, is an American political consultant for candidates of the Republican Party, and partner in the Atlanta-based public-affairs firm, Connect South. He is the former executive director of the Republican Governors Association (RGA). He was appointed to that position in December 2014 and ended his term on December 31, 2018. Previously he served as deputy executive director and political director of the RGA from January 2007 to January 2011 and led two US Senate campaigns for David Perdue.
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