In a bold move to enhance collaboration on public health initiatives, a consortium of Democratic state governors has unveiled a new alliance. This collective effort seeks to synchronize data sharing, communication strategies on emerging threats, and emergency preparedness, all while advocating for cohesive public health policies.

Framed as a direct response to what they perceive as insufficient leadership from the federal level, particularly under former President Donald Trump’s administration, these governors aim to fill the gaps left by federal inaction. Their message is clear: state-level leadership is essential in a time of national uncertainty.

“With the federal government effectively saying, ‘you’re on your own,’ state governors are uniting to tackle these challenges head-on,” stated Maryland Governor Wes Moore, underscoring the urgency and necessity of this alliance.

This initiative marks a significant moment in the ongoing political divide over public health strategies, a rift that has only deepened following the controversial stance of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s advisors. Their decision to refrain from recommending COVID-19 vaccinations, opting instead to leave the decision to individuals, has sparked further debate.

In response, Andrew Nixon, a representative for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, criticized the Democratic governors for their past pandemic measures such as school closures and mask mandates, even for young children. He argues these actions have eroded public confidence in health authorities.

“The Trump Administration and Secretary Kennedy are rebuilding that trust by grounding every policy in rigorous evidence and Gold Standard Science – not the failed politics of the pandemic,” Nixon said.

The initial members are all Democrats

The Governors Public Health Alliance bills itself as a “nonpartisan coordinating hub,” but the initial members are all Democrats — the governors of 15 states plus Guam.

Among them are governors of the most populous blue states, California and New York, and several governors who are considered possible 2028 presidential candidates, including California’s Gavin Newsom, Illinois’ JB Pritzker and Maryland’s Moore.

The idea of banding together for public health isn’t new for Democratic governors. They formed regional groups to address the pandemic during Trump’s first term and launched new ones in recent months amid uncertainty on federal vaccine policy. States have also taken steps to preserve access to COVID-19 vaccines.

The new alliance isn’t intended to supplant those efforts, or the coordination already done by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, its organizers say.

A former CDC director is among the advisers

Dr. Mandy Cohen, who was CDC director under former President Joe Biden and before that the head of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, is part of a bipartisan group of advisers to the alliance.

“The CDC did provide an important backstop for expertise and support,” she said. “And I think now with some of that gone, it’s important for states to make sure that they are sharing best practices, and that they are coordinating, because the problems have not gone away. The health threats have not gone away.”

Other efforts have also sprung up to try to fill roles that the CDC performed before the ouster of a director, along with other restructuring and downsizing.

The Governors Public Health Alliance has support from GovAct, a nonprofit, nonpartisan donor-funded initiative that also has projects aimed at protecting democracy and another partisan hot-button issue, reproductive freedom.