Republican Governors Association


The Republican Governors Association is a Washington, D.C.-based 527 organization founded in 1963, consisting of U.S. state and territorial Republican governors. The Republican Governors Association is dedicated to one primary objective: electing and supporting Republican governors.
The current RGA chairman is Governor Greg Abbott of Texas, who assumed the office in November 2019.
The RGA's Executive Committee for 2019 includes Governors Doug Ducey of Arizona, Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, Kim Reynolds of Iowa, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Phil Bryant of Mississippi, Doug Burgum of North Dakota, and Kristi Noem of South Dakota. In addition, Governor Eric Holcomb of Indiana was elected RGA Policy Chairman, and Governor Matt Bevin of Kentucky was elected RGA Policy Vice Chairman.
Its Democratic Party counterpart is the Democratic Governors Association. The RGA is not directly affiliated with the non-partisan National Governors Association.

Current Mission Statement

The current mission statement of the RGA is as follows:

List of current Republican governors

All are members of the Republican Governors Association
Current GovernorStatePastTook officeCurrent term
Kay IveyAlabamaList2017First term
Mike DunleavyAlaskaList2018First term
Doug DuceyArizonaList2015Second term
Asa HutchinsonArkansasList2015Second term
Ron DeSantisFloridaList2019First term
Brian KempGeorgiaList2019First term
Brad LittleIdahoList2019First term
Eric HolcombIndianaList2017First term
Kim ReynoldsIowaList2017First term
Charlie BakerMassachusettsList2015Second term
Larry HoganMarylandList2015Second term
Tate ReevesMississippiList2020First term
Mike ParsonMissouriList2018First term
Pete RickettsNebraskaList2015Second term
Chris SununuNew HampshireList2017Second term
Doug BurgumNorth DakotaList2016First term
Mike DeWineOhioList2019First term
Kevin StittOklahomaList2019First term
Henry McMasterSouth CarolinaList2017First term
Kristi NoemSouth DakotaList2019First term
Bill LeeTennesseeList2019First term
Greg AbbottTexasList2015Second term
Gary HerbertUtahList2009Second term
Phil ScottVermontList2017Second term
Jim JusticeWest VirginiaList2017First term
Mark GordonWyomingList2019First term

Two Governors of a U.S. territory are registered Republicans:
GovernorTerritoryPrevTook officeCurrent term
Ralph TorresNorthern Mariana IslandsList2015First Term
Wanda Vázquez GarcedPuerto RicoList2019First Term

List of RGA Chairs

Current and former RGA Chairs.
TermChairState
1963–1966Robert SymlieIdaho
1966–1967John LoveColorado
1967–1968John ChafeeRhode Island
1968–1970Ronald ReaganCalifornia
1970–1971Louie NunnKentucky
1971–1972William MillikenMichigan
1972–1973Linwood HoltonVirginia
1973–1974Winfield DunnTennessee
1974–1975Kit BondMissouri
1975–1976Arch MooreWest Virginia
1976–1977Robert BennettKansas
1977–1978Robert RayIowa
1978–1979Otis BowenIndiana
1979–1980Richard SnellingVermont
1980–1981John DaltonVirginia
1981–1982Jim ThompsonIllinois
1982–1983Robert OrrIndiana
1983–1984Vic AtiyehOregon
1984–1985Dick ThornburghPennsylvania
1985–1986John SununuNew Hampshire
1986–1987Tom KeanNew Jersey
1987–1988Mike CastleDelaware
1988–1989Mike HaydenKansas
1989–1990John AshcroftMissouri
1990–1991Carroll CampbellSouth Carolina
1991–1992Tommy ThompsonWisconsin
1992–1993George VoinovichOhio
1993–1994Jock McKernanMaine
1994–1995Mike LeavittUtah
1995–1996John EnglerMichigan
1996–1997Terry BranstadIowa
1997–1998David BeasleySouth Carolina
1998–1999Frank KeatingOklahoma
1999–2000Ed SchaferNorth Dakota
2000–2001Jim GilmoreVirginia
2001Tom RidgePennsylvania
2001–2002John RowlandConnecticut
2002–2003Bill OwensColorado
2003–2004Bob TaftOhio
2004–2005Kenny GuinnNevada
2005–2006Mitt RomneyMassachusetts
2006–2007Sonny PerdueGeorgia
2007–2008Rick PerryTexas
2008–2009Mark SanfordSouth Carolina
2009–2010Haley BarbourMississippi
2010–2011Rick PerryTexas
2011–2012Bob McDonnellVirginia
2012–2013Bobby JindalLouisiana
2013–2014Chris ChristieNew Jersey
2014–2015Bill HaslamTennessee
2015–2016Susana MartinezNew Mexico
2016–2017Scott WalkerWisconsin
2017–2018Bill HaslamTennessee
2018–2019Pete RickettsNebraska
2019–presentGreg AbbottTexas

Executive Directors

2018 election cycle

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.
In 2017, it sponsored a website The Free Telegraph to promote issues from the perspective of Republicans.

Fundraising

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.
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.