Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, entering his final 17 months in that office, is the new chair of the National Governors Association.
Stitt, who served as vice chair during the past year, became the chair on Saturday, July 26, at the organization’s summer meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He said his major initiative for the next calendar year will be called, “Reigniting the American Dream,” which will focus on unlocking economic opportunity, empowering every learner and energizing the future with ideas such as artificial intelligence and energy independence.
Stitt, a Republican, will lead the organization alongside its incoming vice chair, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat. Founded in 1908, the National Governors Association includes the leaders of 55 states, territories and commonwealths in the United States. The goal of the organization is for governors to identify priority issues and deal with matters of public policy and governance at the state, national and global levels.
“We’re demonstrating to America that there’s so much more that we agree on than we disagree,” Stitt said.
Moore said he’s looking forward to working alongside Stitt.
“We look forward to being able to present an example to the rest of the country that as governors, what we focus on is getting things done,” Moore said. “What we focus on is making sure we're serving the people of our individual jurisdictions. What we focus on is making sure that we can identify best practices and put them into action and put them into work and bring them to scale.
“That's what governors do, and it's an honor to uh to work alongside our governors of both political parties to make sure that the people of our individual jurisdictions don't forget that we're not here to play games and we're not here to be performative. No, we're here to bring real results to their lives.”
During his year as chair, Stitt and other governors are planning to convene in Switzerland for an “international learning journey,” as well as in Austin, Texas, for a “regional economic opportunity summit” and in Philadelphia to discuss “energy and infrastructure innovation.” The 2026 National Governors Association’s summer meeting will be held in Oklahoma City.
Stitt succeeds Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat, as the organization’s chair.
“The beautiful thing about the American Dream is that there are as many dreams as there are people,” Stitt said. “In a time where all we hear is about how divided we are, let’s remind them that we agree on this: the American Dream doesn’t need to be reimagined, it needs to be reignited. Governors are in a unique position to lead this charge. I’m grateful for the trust of my fellow Governors as we start this journey together.”
Stitt’s speech on Saturday included a shout-out to a unique Oklahoma school, as he touted the Oklahoma Aviation Academy, run by Norman Public Schools, as an innovative education model. The academy is essentially a public immersion school for high school students wishing to pursue a career in any number of aviation-related fields. Only a handful of similar schools exist anywhere in the U.S.
“Here’s the deal — students need heroes and role models,” Stitt told his fellow governors. “I want us to look at how we can expand apprenticeships and internships, so students get real-world training earlier in their academic career. We can give students meaningful experiences that lead to real jobs without saddling them with debt.”
Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, issued a statement Saturday about Stitt, noting the governor had been “chosen by his peers” to lead the National Governors Association.
“The most meaningful and effective policies in our nation originate at the state level, and this selection gives Governor Stitt a unique platform to help shape America’s future as our country prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday in the coming year,” Hilbert said. “I look forward to working with him in his new role."
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma's Kevin Stitt now the chair of National Governors Association
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