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Governors Action Alliance (GovAct)

Website:

govactalliance.org/
Type:

State-based policy coalition
CEO:

Julia Spiegel

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The Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is an umbrella group that oversees Governors Safeguarding Democracy and the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, a pair of state-governor coalitions that support left-of-center and Democratic Party-backed policies. In September 2024, GovAct received $500,000 in funding from Pierre Omidyar’s Democracy Fund. GovAct is a project of Global Impact. 1 2

Related Organizations

Governors Safeguarding Democracy

The Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) was founded prior to 2023 as a project of Virginia-based Global Impact but was relaunched alongside Governors Safeguarding Democracy, a coalition of state governors that claim to advocate against the second Trump administration. In September 2024, GovAct received $500,000 in funding from Democracy Fund, the private foundation of billionaire philanthropist Pierre Omidyar. 1 2

According to co-chairs Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) and Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D), Governors Safeguarding Democracy’s goal is to “fortify democratic institutions in the states.” 3 In an interview on MSNBC, Gov. Pritzker claimed that the project would prepare left-of-center advocacy such as opposing prayer in public schools, promoting abortion access and related issues, and preventing cooperation within their home states with federal immigration or deportation officials. 4 5

Governors Safeguarding Democracy claims to promote its objectives by collaborating with a network of think tanks, legal experts, and institutions self-described as “democracy advocates” 6 3 to oppose potential policy measures passed by the second Trump administration 7 while advocating policy towards the protection of voting and electoral institutions. 3 6

Reproductive Freedom Alliance

The Reproductive Freedom Alliance is a coalition of 23 Democratic Party governors advocating for expanding abortion access within the United States. The Alliance was founded under the Governors Action Alliance by California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) in February 2023 in response to the Dobbs v. Jackson U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended the federal right to abortion. 8 9

Between 2023 and 2024, Alliance has pushed roughly 20 pieces of legislation meant to expand abortion access while investing roughly $535 million into pro-abortion efforts. 10

Leadership

Julia Spiegel is the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Governors Action Alliance (GovAct). Spiegel is an attorney who previously served as legal counsel and senior advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom (D). Prior to this, Spiegel was the head of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, served as a senior advisor to then-U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, and clerked for Judge M. Margaret McKeown on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. 11

Allegra Chapman is the policy director on democracy of GovAct, as well as a board member of the Verified Voting Foundation and the board chair of the 100% Democracy Initiative. Prior to joining GovAct, Chapman was a democracy and social justice consultant at AAC Consulting LLC, was the director of voting and education at Common Cause, the Assistant Attorney General of the New York State Office of the Attorney General’s Civil Rights Bureau, and a staff counsel at Demos. 12

Emma Clough is the executive associate of GovAct. Clough previously interned under Governor Newsom and served as a commissioner at the University of California Davis Gender and Sexuality Commission. 13 14

GovAct’s advisor board consists of Obama administration Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and five former governors: Arne Carlson (R-MN), Jim Doyle (D-WI), Deval Patrick (D-MA), Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS), and William Weld (R-MA). 8

References

  1. Kaminsky, Gabe, “Billionaire Musk foe bankrolls second Trump resistance.” Washington Examiner. November 20, 2024. Accessed November 27, 2024. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/investigations/3235838/billionaire-musk-foe-bankrolls-second-trump-resistance/.
  2. Goodman, Alana. “Mystery Solved: Left-Wing Billionaire Pierre Omidyar Bankrolls Shadowy Anti-Musk Group.” The Washington Free Beacon. February 21, 2023. Accessed November 27, 2024. https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/mystery-solved-left-wing-billionaire-pierre-omidyar-bankrolls-shadowy-anti-musk-group/.
  3. Epstein, Reid J. “Democratic Governors Form a Group to Oppose the Trump Administration.” New York Times. November 13, 2024. Accessed via Web Archive November 19, 2024. https://archive.ph/Vvfad#selection-951.0-955.42.
  4. “New alliance of governors works to safeguard democracy in wake of Trump re-election.” MSNBC. Interview on Morning Joe. November 13, 2024. Accessed November 21, 2024. https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/new-alliance-of-governors-works-to-safeguard-democracy-in-wake-of-trump-re-election-224326213504.
  5. Nawaz, Amma. “Democratic governors say they are leading state-level efforts to ‘protect democracy’.” PBS News Hour. November 13, 2024. Accessed November 21, 2024. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/democratic-governors-say-they-are-leading-state-level-efforts-to-protect-democracy.
  6. “Governors Launch Initiative to Protect American Democracy.” Governors Safeguarding Democracy Press Release. November 13, 2024. https://www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GSD-Press-Release.pdf.
  7. “About the Alliance.” Governors Safeguarding Democracy. Accessed November 21, 2024. https://govsfordemocracy.org/about-us/.
  8. “About Us.” Reproductive Freedom Alliance. Accessed November 27, 2024. https://reprofreedomalliance.org/about-us/.
  9. “Homepage.” Governors Action Alliance. Accessed November 27, 2024. https://govactalliance.org/.
  10. “Our Work.” Governors Action Alliance. Accessed November 27, 2024. https://reprofreedomalliance.org/our-work/.
  11. “Julie Spiegel.” Governors Action Alliance. Accessed November 27, 2024. https://govactalliance.org/about-us/julia-spiegel/.
  12. “Allegra Chapman.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 27, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/allegra-chapman-16a2565/.
  13. “Emma Clough.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 27, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-clough-ab20331b4/.
  14.  “Emma Clough.” Governors Action Alliance. Accessed November 27, 2024. https://govactalliance.org/about-us/emma-clough/.
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