The White House excluded Democratic governors from the traditional working session and left Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis off the guest list for the presidential dinner, breaking a long bipartisan practice. Interim NGA CEO Brandon Tatum called the decision partisan and said disinviting governors harms federal‑state collaboration. Some governors are reconsidering attendance as tensions rise between state leaders and the National Governors Association following disputes over National Guard deployments. The White House and the Democratic Governors Association did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
White House Sidelines Some Democratic Governors From Longstanding Bipartisan Events
Wes Moore, governor of Maryland, left, in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. Jared Polis, right, speaks to the National Governors Association at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo., July 25, 2025. - Bloomberg/Getty Images/AP
Each winter, the nation’s governors typically converge in Washington, D.C., for a bipartisan meeting that includes a working session at the White House followed by a presidential black‑tie dinner. This year, the White House altered the guest list: Democratic governors were excluded from the working session, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis were not invited to the formal dinner, according to a source familiar with the arrangements.
Interim National Governors Association (NGA) CEO Brandon Tatum criticized the move as politicizing a traditionally nonpartisan event. He said the decision to disinvite individual governors "undermines an important opportunity for federal‑state collaboration."
“We are disappointed in the administration’s decision to make it a partisan occasion this year,” Tatum said, adding that the White House has historically helped foster bipartisan moments during the NGA’s annual meeting.
Two sources familiar with the matter said Moore and Polis were not notified beforehand of their exclusion nor given an explanation by the White House. A spokesperson for Gov. Polis called the omission "a disappointing decision," noting Polis’ willingness to work across party lines.
Not all Democrats who have publicly clashed with the administration were left off the guest list. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California and Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois were extended invitations. Pritzker’s aides said he did not expect to attend the White House portion given his ongoing disputes with the administration over immigration enforcement actions last year.
The episode comes amid rising tensions between some governors and the National Governors Association. Illinois is among several states that suspended dues after the NGA did not publicly oppose the administration’s deployment of National Guard troops into the state last year without coordination with Gov. Pritzker. A Pritzker spokesman said governors must defend state sovereignty regardless of who occupies the White House.
The NGA framed the situation as a failure of executive‑branch leadership. "NGA will remain focused on serving all governors as they deliver solutions and model leadership for the American people," Tatum said, adding that traditionally the White House has played a role in fostering these moments during the NGA’s annual meeting, but that role was absent this year.
The White House and the Democratic Governors Association did not immediately respond to requests for comment. CNN reached out to Gov. Moore for comment.
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