Notre Dame Democracy Initiative hosts bipartisan conversation with Western state governors
Two Western state governors known to work across the aisle on policy issues such as water, housing and energy will visit the University of Notre Dame for a fireside chat about how Western state pragmatism can serve as a model for the country to overcome polarization.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-New Mexico) and Gov. Spencer Cox (R-Utah) will join Notre Dame’s Democracy Initiative for an event titled “Pragmatism Over Polarization: A Conversation with U.S. Governors” from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, in the Leighton Concert Hall of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. The session is free and open to the public. A livestream will be available here.
University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C, will moderate the discussion and John McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost, will offer opening remarks.
The event is part of the University-wide initiative’s signature event series, Democracy Talks, which offers accessible and engaging opportunities for the Notre Dame community to better understand current events and pressing policy issues.
“Notre Dame is a convener of some of the most crucial conversations on the future of democracy,” said Joel Day, managing director of the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative. “This event is an opportunity to do just that. We are bringing together two prominent governors, from both sides of the political spectrum, to help us understand ways to reduce partisan noise and focus on policy, even with folks with whom we disagree.
“In an age where politics can divide us, this Democracy Talk offers a different perspective with governors who put a premium on getting stuff done across state boundaries and across the aisle.”
Lujan Grisham is the 32nd governor of the state of New Mexico and the first Democratic Latina elected governor in U.S. history. She has also served as a county commissioner, state cabinet secretary and member of Congress. A 12th-generation New Mexican, she is a former chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Western Governors Association.
Cox is the 18th governor of Utah, a fourth-generation Utahn who has served as a mayor, county commissioner, state legislator and lieutenant governor. He is the current chair of the Western Governors’ Association and served as chair of the National Governors Association from 2023 to 2024.
The Notre Dame Democracy Initiative aims to establish Notre Dame as a leader in the study of democracy in the United States and worldwide, as a convenor for conversations about and actions to preserve democracy, and as a model for the formation of civically engaged citizens and public servants. To learn more, visit go.nd.edu/democracy.
Originally published by at strategicframework.nd.edu on Sept. 4.
Contact: Tracy DeStazio, associate director of media relations, 574-631-9958 or tdestazi@nd.edu
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