Govs. Walz, Kelly to leave National Governors Association: Sources

Sources say two prominent Democrats are stepping away from a national bipartisan organization that brings together the chief executives of all 50 states, citing a lack of pushback to Trump administration policies and to some recent threats to state funding and operations.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, the chair of the Democratic Governors Association (DGA), will be leaving the National Governors Association (NGA) at the end of the month, a source familiar with her thinking told ABC News.

She will actively step back from the organization, not only by not paying dues but also by withdrawing from promoting or taking part in any NGA-associated work, the source said.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the former DGA chair, is also cutting ties with the NGA and will stop paying dues to the organization next year as he is “reassessing” his membership, another source told ABC News.

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The two governors are stepping away at a time when the association appears to engage in fewer bipartisan initiatives and advocate less for states as they face uncertainty around some of the Trump administration’s policies and Congress’ recent cuts to federal funding, according to the second source, who called that a departure from the group’s past work to champion local issues.

The NGA is “not living up to the most fundamental aspect of its mission statement” while Congress and the Trump administration are “dismantling solutions-based governance,” said the source familiar with Kelly’s thinking.

What the NGA says

The National Governors Association is a bipartisan organization that brings together the nation’s governors to work on state and local issues and to liaise with the federal government. Every year, the leadership of the organization alternates between Democrats and Republicans. The current chair is Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, of Colorado.

Asked about the departure of Walz and Kelly, NGA spokesperson Eric Wohlschlegel said the organization “continues to see strong engagement from governors across the country, with record attendance at recent convenings and bipartisan participation across all major initiatives.”

The second source said some governors and their staff feel frustrated because they feel the group hasn’t pushed back enough on Trump administration policies that directly impact their states.

That source said that there is a “a shocking lack of willingness to speak out on states’ rights and federal overreach. Silence on the one set of issues that all governors should agree on.”

The source added: “There are a lot of ways governors coordinate on a bipartisan basis and this is simply too great an expense to taxpayers for the value we get in return right now.”

Kelly would be “open” to staying in the organization should it return to work on bipartisan, local-focused issues, according to the source familiar with her thinking.

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Kelly, the leader of the Democratic governors’ group, is not advocating for her peers to follow her direction in leaving the NGA.

What other governors say

Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, of Maryland, the incoming vice-chair of the NGA, told ABC News Friday that he counts Kelly and Walz among his friends. He said he’s heard similar frustrations about the group, and finds them totally understandable.

“I’ve definitely heard it. And I think a lot of the frustration… is justified, because I don’t think this organization has really moved with a sense of urgency on some of these topics that they needed to,” said Moore, who added that the group’s silence on Trump’s public spat with Maine Gov. Janet Mills “can never and should never be tolerated again.”

The source familiar with Kelly’s thinking also cited silence from the group when Congress passed a recissions package earlier this month, which cut a chunk of critical federal funding that Kansas relies on, as well as silence from the group when Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles in response to the protests over immigration enforcement. The Guard is typically authorized by governors.

Still, Moore said he believes the NGA provides value in having a direct line to bipartisan collaboration, and that the “virtue of this organization is one that’s worth fighting for.

“I respect the frustration that some of my colleagues have, I also know that I feel like we have a responsibility to actually work to fix it and address it,” said Moore.

Moore said he believes that Walz and Kelly could come back into the fold after he takes the helm and pushes the leadership on improving.

“I think they also know that I hear their frustrations, and I plan on addressing their frustrations,” said Moore.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, is the incoming NGA chair.

He said while he’s friends with Walz and Kelly, he thinks their decision to walk away isn’t the right one.

“I don’t think you should take your ball and go home,” Stitt told reporters Saturday. “Working together for all 50 states in the benefits of our country, and our states, it’s hard and it’s messy and we should be able to debate what is the right policy. But let’s not take our ball and go home. Let’s sit here and let’s talk about what is the best thing that we can do for America.”

New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who chaired the NGA from 2022-2023, told ABC Saturday morning that he hadn’t heard of the concerns from Democrats until recently. While he is a “huge fan” of both Kelly and Walz, Murphy said he doesn’t agree with the decision to pull back from the organization.

“I respect their decisions. I just don’t agree with that,” he said. “I think the NGA is a very valuable entity. Does that mean everybody we’re going to hear from today be inviting over to my house for dinner? No, for sure. But the fact of the matter is, we come together in common cause to try to find common ground. I think it does a very good job of that, is it perfect? No, and it’s also a very personal reason for me, in the sense of you get to walk in the other guy’s shoes, hear different perspectives.”

Murphy continued: “I don’t care if I’m sitting next to a Republican governor or a Democratic governor, we’re there, as they say, to find common ground, to get to know each other. I think that has great value.”