Democratic governors convene to strategize for navigating a Trump administration
In what could serve as a glimpse into the 2028 Democratic primary race, the party’s emerging star governors gathered in Beverly Hills this weekend.
TroibNews 
**BEVERLY HILLS, California** — In the wake of the recent electoral losses, Democratic governors gathered at a luxurious hotel in Beverly Hills on Friday and Saturday for closed-door discussions with donors, advocacy groups, and interest organizations. Officially, the meetings aimed to outline a strategy for navigating a Trump administration.
However, unofficially, the event hinted at the dynamics of the next Democratic primary.
“You're witnessing the kickoff to the 2028 presidential primary, live and in-person,” remarked an adviser to significant Democratic donors, who wished to remain anonymous for candidness. He further elaborated: “This is the audition for the next president to a room full of donors, operatives, reporters, etc.”
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, noted that the focus was on immediate concerns: retaining control in New Jersey and flipping Virginia in 2025, alongside a “huge contingent of governors’ races in ’26.”
“Trust me, we're not thinking beyond ’26 at this point,” she stated.
Yet, the presence of potential 2028 candidates among the attendees was hard to overlook, featuring governors such as Gavin Newsom of California, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Tim Walz of Minnesota, JB Pritzker of Illinois, and Roy Cooper of North Carolina. The Beverly Hilton buzzed with donors, strategists, and lobbyists keen to engage with these emerging leaders over the weekend.
In response to inquiries about the 2028 dynamics, Cooper remarked to PMG: “I'll just say that there are a lot of great governors across this country who will make great leaders in the future.”
Democratic governors are navigating a delicate balance between opposing President-elect Donald Trump's Republican stronghold in Washington and finding ways to collaborate.
Following the election, several Democratic governors initiated efforts to “Trump-proof” their states. In a recent memo, Meghan Meehan-Draper, the executive director of the DGA, stated that Democratic governors would serve as the “Last Line of Defense” against the incoming Republican dominance in the federal landscape.
Governors from blue states have clearly indicated their intent to counter some of Trump’s policies, which might elevate their own profiles in the process. Pritzker and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis are spearheading a group aimed at “back against increasing threats of autocracy and fortifying the institutions of democracy that our country and our states depend upon.” While the group operates with non-partisan funding, its political ramifications are unmistakable.
“You come for my people, you come through me,” Pritzker warned reporters last month regarding the incoming administration.
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James launched an initiative to “address any policy and regulatory threats that may emerge from a Trump Administration.” Similarly, Newsom in California convened a special session of the legislature to prepare for the state’s second resistance to Trump.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee commented, “We've already taken from the last rodeo considerable efforts that have been considerably successful to prevent him from abusing our state financially and taking away our resources [and] targeting us.”
“You can’t say we’re ‘Trump-proofed,’ because he still has some levers to pull, but we’ve already done that considerably,” Inslee added.
Despite the recent electoral setbacks, the event raised the implicit question of who might be best positioned for future campaigns. Inslee noted the governors are “focused on the election cycle for governors right now,” but acknowledged, “the day after every election is the beginning” of the next one.
In contrast to the more confrontational stance governors adopted in 2017, this year they appeared to be exercising caution. Newsom committed to extending “an open hand, not a closed fist,” to the incoming administration, and other governors expressed a willingness to collaborate with Trump on certain matters.
Whitmer reflected on her state's role in supporting Trump, stating she aims to seek ways to work with the president-elect. “I won’t abandon my values, but I’m going to work hard to find common ground everywhere I can,” she asserted, adding, “I've got two more years, and my goal is to do everything I can for the state.”
Cooper, who will soon transition out as North Carolina governor to Democrat Josh Stein, emphasized the importance of federal collaboration for aiding the state’s recovery from Hurricane Helene.
The governors recognized the necessity of responding to calls from the Trump administration. “We will continue to do what we do, which is work with whoever we need to work with to get what we need for our states,” Kelly concluded.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
However, unofficially, the event hinted at the dynamics of the next Democratic primary.
“You're witnessing the kickoff to the 2028 presidential primary, live and in-person,” remarked an adviser to significant Democratic donors, who wished to remain anonymous for candidness. He further elaborated: “This is the audition for the next president to a room full of donors, operatives, reporters, etc.”
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, noted that the focus was on immediate concerns: retaining control in New Jersey and flipping Virginia in 2025, alongside a “huge contingent of governors’ races in ’26.”
“Trust me, we're not thinking beyond ’26 at this point,” she stated.
Yet, the presence of potential 2028 candidates among the attendees was hard to overlook, featuring governors such as Gavin Newsom of California, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Tim Walz of Minnesota, JB Pritzker of Illinois, and Roy Cooper of North Carolina. The Beverly Hilton buzzed with donors, strategists, and lobbyists keen to engage with these emerging leaders over the weekend.
In response to inquiries about the 2028 dynamics, Cooper remarked to PMG: “I'll just say that there are a lot of great governors across this country who will make great leaders in the future.”
Democratic governors are navigating a delicate balance between opposing President-elect Donald Trump's Republican stronghold in Washington and finding ways to collaborate.
Following the election, several Democratic governors initiated efforts to “Trump-proof” their states. In a recent memo, Meghan Meehan-Draper, the executive director of the DGA, stated that Democratic governors would serve as the “Last Line of Defense” against the incoming Republican dominance in the federal landscape.
Governors from blue states have clearly indicated their intent to counter some of Trump’s policies, which might elevate their own profiles in the process. Pritzker and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis are spearheading a group aimed at “back against increasing threats of autocracy and fortifying the institutions of democracy that our country and our states depend upon.” While the group operates with non-partisan funding, its political ramifications are unmistakable.
“You come for my people, you come through me,” Pritzker warned reporters last month regarding the incoming administration.
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James launched an initiative to “address any policy and regulatory threats that may emerge from a Trump Administration.” Similarly, Newsom in California convened a special session of the legislature to prepare for the state’s second resistance to Trump.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee commented, “We've already taken from the last rodeo considerable efforts that have been considerably successful to prevent him from abusing our state financially and taking away our resources [and] targeting us.”
“You can’t say we’re ‘Trump-proofed,’ because he still has some levers to pull, but we’ve already done that considerably,” Inslee added.
Despite the recent electoral setbacks, the event raised the implicit question of who might be best positioned for future campaigns. Inslee noted the governors are “focused on the election cycle for governors right now,” but acknowledged, “the day after every election is the beginning” of the next one.
In contrast to the more confrontational stance governors adopted in 2017, this year they appeared to be exercising caution. Newsom committed to extending “an open hand, not a closed fist,” to the incoming administration, and other governors expressed a willingness to collaborate with Trump on certain matters.
Whitmer reflected on her state's role in supporting Trump, stating she aims to seek ways to work with the president-elect. “I won’t abandon my values, but I’m going to work hard to find common ground everywhere I can,” she asserted, adding, “I've got two more years, and my goal is to do everything I can for the state.”
Cooper, who will soon transition out as North Carolina governor to Democrat Josh Stein, emphasized the importance of federal collaboration for aiding the state’s recovery from Hurricane Helene.
The governors recognized the necessity of responding to calls from the Trump administration. “We will continue to do what we do, which is work with whoever we need to work with to get what we need for our states,” Kelly concluded.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
