politics

Governors gather in New Hampshire to brainstorm a path toward middle ground

The collection of state leaders is hoping they can begin that process and return the nation to some semblance of civility, but a bitter partisan battle over government funding in Congress shows the challenge that lies ahead

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It's a rare sight to have six governors all in one state, but Tuesday morning in New Hampshire that is exactly what happened.

The leaders of New Jersey, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, Utah, Tennessee and New Hampshire all convened for a "Disagree Better" conference held by the National Governors Association.

"We're talking about accountability, government that works, results driven approaches," said New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican.

Topics ranged from religion, to immigration and discussing the extreme factions of both parties.

"There's a lot of showmanship, the incentives line up, that if you're extreme and you're out there you get clicks," said Utah's Republican Gov. Spencer Cox.

"Let's humanize people, look at the faces, learn the stories of people who are coming here and why they're coming here," said Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat.

But a brief moment of constructive conversation doesn't immediately turn the tide on polarization. Each governor said changing the current climate takes time and comes with an incredible amount of difficulty.

"How do we take it from these groups all across the country and how do we make it larger so people can see how it used to be in our country?" said Cox.

The collection of state leaders is hoping they can begin that process and return the nation to some semblance of civility, but a bitter partisan battle over government funding in Congress shows the challenge that lies ahead.

"Please God, let's figure out a way forward, what's the middle ground. Something that appeals to the broad sensibilities of Americans who want to see this country move forward," said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat, was scheduled to attend the conference but chose to stay in the commonwealth to survey damage and recovery efforts after dangerous flooding Monday night in Leominster.

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