Leading the Way for DGA

Via WaPo, some most excellent news:

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) will become chairwoman of the Democratic Governors Association next year, officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity told the Associated Press.

The Democrats are coming off a successful campaign season, picking up six statehouses in last month's elections.

Sebelius and the DGA declined to comment ahead of a meeting tomorrow of the governors association, when the announcement of Sebelius's appointment is expected. She would replace New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who is considering a run for president in 2008.

Next year, the Democrats will hold a majority of the country's governorships for the first time in 12 years. This year's victories came in several states that had Republican governors despite strongly Democratic leanings, such as Massachusetts and New York.

But the elections also underscored the importance of the party reaching out to more conservative states. Sebelius, who defeated her opponent with 58 percent of the vote Nov. 7, is considered a leading model for how Democrats can win in traditionally Republican territory.

The Democrats also picked up governor's seats in Ohio, Arkansas, Colorado and Maryland, and they will control 28 states in January. The Democrats' success in governor's races was mirrored in state legislatures, where they picked up nine chambers.

Sebelius's vice chairman at the DGA will be West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III, according to the AP.

Governor Sebelius has done an amazing job leading the state of Kansas and bringing the Democratic message to the heart of a "red" state. Not only is this a fabulous development for women leaders, but it's going to be a fantastic fit for the Democratic Governor's Association as we seek to build a truly national party as part of the 50-State Strategy. Governor Sebelius already knows the importance of fighting for every vote and has shown that not only is she willing to do it, but that she can do it and win:

One of the key reasons Kansas Democrats are in fighting mood is their governor, Kathleen Sebelius. Sebelius's vote represents an island of Democratic blue in a sea of Republican red on the political map, and she has impressed by reaching the middle-ground voters in a startlingly successful first term. Shunning the hot-button social issues, she has focused on education, jobs and health. This has earned her approval ratings touching 68 per cent in a state that was overwhelmingly pro-Bush in 2004.

Sebelius has cracked the political holy grail: persuading heartland Republicans to vote Democrat. 'Her style works here, and then bringing over Parkinson to the Democrats has been the coup of all coups,' said Professor Bob Beatty, a political scientist at Washburn University near Topeka.

More on how Governor Sebelius has re-energized the state of Kansas with her common sense approach, here and here.

Comments (1) «

2 reasons I am ashamed to be a resident of Ct after this last election:

Our Republicans and Indys voted for Joe Lieberman and more deaths of our troops in Iraq

and secondly, this State voted for a Republican Governor, who sat for 11 years next door to John Rowland, while he sold contracts in the state to the highest bidders to his own personal coffers!

I had always been proud of Informed, intelligent voters in this state until November 7th, 2006!

1

PamB on December 5, 2006 at 01:22 PM

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