The National Governors Association is facing rare internal conflict as several Democratic governors threaten to withdraw from the bipartisan organization over its response to federal troop deployments into states. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said they were considering leaving the group, arguing that its leadership has remained silent on actions they view as violations of state sovereignty. 

“If we cannot come together, on a bipartisan basis, on this basic principle of state sovereignty, what purpose does the National Governors Association serve?” Newsom wrote in a letter to fellow governors.

The NGA, founded in 1908, has traditionally focused on consensus issues such as infrastructure, broadband access, and workforce development. However, this latest conflict has highlighted political divisions. Some Republican governors have supported the deployments, while others have stayed quiet.

Pritzker echoed Newsom’s frustration, writing to NGA Chair Kevin Stitt that “the credibility of the National Governors Association—and our integrity as state executives—rests on our willingness to apply our principles consistently, regardless of which administration attacks them.”

Oklahoma Governor Stitt, who leads the organization, has said the group should avoid divisive topics and instead focus on areas where governors agree. 

“I’m not sure the policy issue of whether the Constitution allows for federal involvement in the state and the National Guard is something that the NGA would want to tackle,” said Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe.