15 Governors Launch ‘Governors Public Health Alliance’

On Oct 15, 2025

Governors Bob Ferguson (WA), Josh Green (HI), Maura Healey (MA), Kathy Hochul (NY), Tina Kotek (OR), Ned Lamont (CT), Lou Leon Guerrero (GU), Dan McKee (RI), Matt Meyer (DE), Wes Moore (MD), Phil Murphy (NJ), Gavin Newsom (CA), Jared Polis (CO), JB Pritzker (IL), and Josh Stein (NC) announced the launch of the Governors Public Health Alliance, a new coalition of governors designed to serve as a nonpartisan coordinating hub for governors and their public health leaders.

The Governors Public Health Alliance will support governors and their states in coordinating and collaborating by facilitating data sharing and communication about health threat detection, emergency preparedness and response, public health guidance and policy, and deployment of experts.

The Governors Public Health Alliance supports national coordination on public health at the gubernatorial level – complementing existing mechanisms and interfacing with entities like the Northeast Public Health Collaborative and West Coast Health Alliance. The Governors Public Health Alliance will serve as a unified, cross-state liaison with the global health community and will facilitate cross-state collaboration by bringing together regional and other groups to share best practices and surface common challenges, elevating national considerations for vaccine policy and regulatory solutions.

The Alliance welcomes further engagement across Governors’ Offices and with public health associations and other relevant groups.

“New Jersey’s approach to public health will always be grounded in collaboration and science. I am proud to formalize these partnerships as we navigate uncertain times and build trust in evidence-based practices,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “Through this collaboration, we look forward to working closely with governors across our nation to combat serious public health threats.”

The Governors Public Health Alliance is supported by GovAct, a nonprofit, nonpartisan initiative that supports governors in protecting public health. The Alliance is guided by a bipartisan set of public health advisors: Dr. Mandy Cohen, former CDC Director and North Carolina Secretary of Health and Human Services; Dr. Anne Zink, former Alaska Chief Medical Officer; and Dr. Raj Panjabi, former White House Senior Director for Global Health Security and Biodefense; as well as Amb. Nina Hachigian, former U.S. Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy. As an initiative of GovAct, the Alliance is also guided by GovAct’s Bipartisan Advisory Board of former governors — Arne Carlson (R-MN), Jim Doyle (D-WI), Deval Patrick (D-MA), Marc Racicot (R-MT), Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS), and Bill Weld (R-MA) — and former senior federal officials Sally Yates and Larry Thompson.

“With many health threats at our doorstep, collaboration and communication between Governors is essential to protect the health of families and save lives,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, former CDC Director and former North Carolina Secretary for Health and Human Services. “This alliance creates the framework to support the national coordination needed to safeguard communities.”

Participating states have already begun sharing best practices, receiving briefings from public health experts, and coordinating on executive actions governors can take to strengthen public health protections, including standing orders or directives to preserve access to COVID-19 vaccines.

The Alliance will continue to provide governors and their teams with toolkits and timely briefings on major policy developments in public health, share coordinated strategies ahead of high-profile events and offer opportunities to discuss health security issues.

“Governors are being asked to do more with less—daily. And yet the challenges keep growing,” said Julia Spiegel, founder and CEO of the Governors Action Alliance (GovAct). “GovAct is here to help bring capacity, expertise, and know-how so that governors have the tools they need to act decisively, together, to protect the health and well-being of their people.”

To access more business news, visit NJB News Now.

Related Articles: