Questions to Ask a Governor
For a student on a class visit or writing a report, a resident at a town hall, or a reporter with a few minutes, these are questions to ask a sitting state governor. They are grouped in the order such a conversation tends to go: the job itself, the budget and taxes, state services such as schools, roads and health care, vetoes and the legislature, the powers a governor uses alone in emergencies, pardons and appointments, and how a resident gets heard. The note under each says what a good or a worrying answer sounds like and where a governor's powers differ by state, so you know what to look up for yours.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
The Job
Why did you want to be governor?
Why ask it
The opener at nearly every class visit, and it still earns its place. A strong answer names something only a governor could change, such as an agency that failed someone they knew or a budget they watched go wrong as a legislator. If the reply would fit any office, ask why this one and not Congress.
What does a governor actually do all day?
Why ask it
Have them describe one real day this month, hour by hour. Students are often surprised that signing bills takes minutes while agency briefings, phone calls with lawmakers and travel across the state take the rest. What gets the morning, when a governor is freshest, is a fair hint at what they think matters.
What is the biggest problem facing the state right now?
Why ask it
The answer will be ready before you finish asking. What it leaves out is the part to go after: what the state itself has done in the past twelve months and what that cost. Worry when the whole reply is about Washington or the previous governor, since anyone in office a while owns part of the problem.
What can a governor decide alone, and what needs the legislature?
Why ask it
Each state constitution divides power its own way, so the answer is different in every capital. Orders to state agencies and many appointments tend to sit with the governor, while new laws and spending need lawmakers, but ask how it works in your state. Keep the answer in mind afterwards: it tells you whether a promise made in the same conversation is the governor's to keep.
What is the hardest decision you have had to make as governor?
Why ask it
A good one for a student interview. The answers worth writing down involve a choice where both options hurt someone: vetoing a popular bill, a clemency request, closing a state facility. If everyone in the story ends up pleased, it was not the hardest one, so ask for the next.
What do you most want to get done before you leave office?
Why ask it
A named bill, building or program with a date attached beats a theme such as opportunity or growth. Ask what stands in the way: votes, money or time. For a report, set the answer beside the governor's most recent address to the legislature and see whether the same item led there.
Which statewide officials are elected separately from you, and what happens when you disagree with them?
Why ask it
In many states the attorney general, secretary of state or treasurer wins office on their own and does not report to the governor, and in others the governor appoints them. Ask for a recent disagreement and how it ended. It explains why a governor often cannot order a lawsuit dropped or an election rule changed.
What do you and the lieutenant governor each do?
Why ask it
Some states elect the two as a team, some elect them separately so they can come from opposing parties, and a few have no lieutenant governor. Real duties handed over, such as leading a task force or presiding over the state senate, make a good answer. A vague one suggests the office mostly waits, which is worth a line in a report.
What did you believe about this job as a candidate that turned out to be wrong?
Why ask it
Candidates talk as if a governor steers the state by hand. The answers you tend to hear are that a large agency takes years to turn and that most of the budget was committed before the inauguration. If the reply is that nothing surprised them, ask what they would warn the next governor about, which gets at the same thing.
Which law you signed are you proudest of, and whose idea was it first?
Why ask it
The second half keeps the answer honest, since most bills begin with a legislator, an agency or a group of residents long before they reach the governor's desk. Sharing credit by name is a sign they know how the building works. Look the bill up afterwards to see how the vote went.
When have you told the federal government no, and what did it cost or gain the state?
Why ask it
Governors of both parties have turned down federal money, backed lawsuits against federal rules and declined requests from Washington, whoever was president. The good answer covers what residents gained or lost, in dollars or services. A reply that is all principle and no consequence needs the follow-up: who in the state felt it?
Do you live in the governor's mansion, and what is that like for your family?
Why ask it
Younger students ask it and the adults in the room lean in. Many states keep an official residence, some do not, and some governors stay in their own house. Spend the follow-up on the family half, since security details and relatives who never ran for anything are things a prepared speech leaves out.
How long can a governor serve in this state, and will you run again?
Why ask it
Term lengths and limits are set state by state: many cap a governor at two terms in a row, some set no limit and at least one does not allow back-to-back terms, so look yours up first. Someone who cannot run again is free to make unpopular choices, so ask which ones are on the list.
What do you hope people say about your time as governor after you leave?
Why ask it
Soft as it sounds, the answer can be checked. Whatever they name can be set beside where the money and their own hours went. In a report, put the hoped-for legacy next to the three largest changes in their budgets and let the reader compare.
Budget and Taxes
Where does the state's money come from?
Why ask it
Income tax, sales tax, federal funds and fees cover most state budgets, but the mix varies widely and several states do without an income tax or a sales tax. Rough shares should come without notes. Then ask which source drops fastest in a bad year, because that is where the next cut starts.
What are the largest things the state spends money on?
Why ask it
In many states schools and health coverage for low-income residents take the largest shares, with universities, prisons and roads behind them. Get the order for your state. For a report, a pie chart of the answer shows how little is left for everything else a governor gets asked to fund.
How much of the budget comes from the federal government, and what strings come with it?
Why ask it
Federal money usually arrives with rules on how to spend it and a share the state must match. Name one program and ask what would happen to it if that money shrank. A prepared governor has a plan or at least a number; 'that will not happen' is neither.
Does the state have to balance its budget, and what did you cut or delay to do it this year?
Why ask it
Nearly every state has some balanced budget rule, though how strict it is differs, so ask what yours requires. The second half is the real question. Listen for a named program or a payment pushed into next year, since 'efficiencies' is not something anyone can find in the budget.
Will state taxes go up or down while you are in office?
Why ask it
Say which tax you mean. Income, sales and gas taxes are state decisions in most places, while property tax is often set locally even when the state gets blamed. A promised cut with nothing said about what receives less money is half an answer, and so is a promised program with no word on who pays.
How much is in the state's rainy day fund, and what would make you use it?
Why ask it
Most states keep a reserve for a bad year, with their own rules for when it can be opened. A rough size and a clear trigger make a solid answer. Be concerned if the reserve paid for ordinary spending in a year when revenue was healthy.
How much does the state owe its retired teachers and state workers, and is it paying the full amount each year?
Why ask it
Pension funding is dull, large and easy to postpone. Some states pay what their actuaries call for every year and others have fallen short for long stretches, leaving the bill to later taxpayers. A reporter should bring the latest figure from the state's annual financial report and ask the governor to explain the trend.
How much of the state budget is passed down to cities and counties, and who decides the split?
Why ask it
A good share of state money passes through to local governments, usually by formulas written into law. This is the question for a resident whose town says the state shorted it. Find out which towns gained and which lost the last time the formula was touched.
State Services
How does the state decide how much money each school district gets?
Why ask it
School funding formulas are fought over in nearly every state, and the fights often reach the courts. Ask whether districts with less property wealth receive more state aid and when the formula was last rewritten. An explanation in plain words, with no staff member stepping in, usually means the governor has worked on it personally.
Who decides what students are taught and tested on: you, a state board or local districts?
Why ask it
It depends on the state. Some governors appoint the state board of education or the schools chief, and elsewhere those are elected and the governor has little direct say. Students get the most from this one, because it reveals who to write to about a test or a graduation rule.
What has happened to tuition at the state's public colleges since you took office?
Why ask it
Tuition tends to rise when state support per student falls, though who sets the price differs from state to state. Two pairs of numbers settle it: tuition then and now, and state funding then and now. If the governor only describes a scholarship program, ask how many students it reaches.
Which state roads and bridges are in the worst shape, and when are they scheduled to be fixed?
Why ask it
The state transportation department normally keeps condition ratings and a multi-year project list, and both are public. A route number or a bridge name is what you are hoping for. Follow with how the list is paid for, since fuel taxes and federal highway money both move.
What does the state do for people who cannot afford health insurance?
Why ask it
States run Medicaid inside federal rules, so who qualifies and what is covered depends on where you live. Ask who is eligible in your state and how long an application takes to process. Steer away from the national argument: the governor controls the state's version, and that is the part you can get an answer on.
What are you doing about parts of the state where the nearest hospital or doctor is a long drive away?
Why ask it
Closed rural hospitals and long trips for maternity care come up at town halls in many states. Useful replies name a tool, such as loan repayment for clinicians who move there, telehealth rules or higher payment rates. Ask which county is worst off and see whether an answer comes quickly.
What happens here when someone in a mental health crisis needs a bed and there is none?
Why ask it
States generally fund or operate psychiatric hospitals and crisis lines, and waits are a familiar complaint. Request today's wait and last year's. Sympathy without a number is the worrying answer, because it suggests nobody is reporting the figure upward.
What can the state do about housing costs that a city cannot?
Why ask it
Zoning is mostly local, but cities zone under rules the state writes, and state governments also control tax credits, building codes and money for construction. A good answer picks one of those and says what changed. Be skeptical of a reply that hands the whole problem back to cities, since the state sets the rules they work within.
Which part of the state has the fewest good jobs, and what is the state doing there?
Why ask it
Statewide job numbers can look healthy while one region empties out. Listen for a named county and a specific tool: a highway or broadband line, a training program at the community college, a state office moved there. If tax breaks for an employer come up, ask how the state confirms that the promised jobs appeared.
How full are the state's prisons, and what is in place for people when they are released?
Why ask it
Prisons are among the larger operations a state runs, and the corrections department usually answers to the governor, though you should check that for your state. Two figures are worth requesting: how many people are held against how many the buildings were designed for, and how many return within a few years of release. Talk of being tough or being fair, with neither figure, tells you little.
What is the state doing to protect its water, air and public land, and who enforces the rules?
Why ask it
A state environmental agency normally issues the permits and inspects the sites, under a mix of state and federal law. Ask about the last time a polluter was fined or shut down and how long it took. Goals set for ten years out are easy to announce, while an enforcement case from last year shows whether anyone is checking.
Vetoes and Laws
How do you decide whether to sign or veto a bill?
Why ask it
Find out who reads the bill first and what reaches the governor: a legal review, an agency's view of the cost, a tally of calls for and against. A described process is the good sign. Also ask how many days the state gives a governor to act and what happens if they do nothing, because in some states an unsigned bill becomes law.
If a bill on the issue I care about reached your desk tomorrow, would you sign it?
Why ask it
Name the issue, and the bill number if one has been filed, so the reply cannot drift into values. Governors often say they do not comment on a bill until it arrives. When you hear that, ask what the bill would have to include, or leave out, to get a signature.
Which veto was the hardest, and would you do it again?
Why ask it
Reporters should arrive with a particular bill in mind. Good answers describe the flaw in the bill itself and not the politics of its sponsor. Whether the sponsor heard about the veto from the governor or from the news says a lot about how the two branches get along.
Has the legislature overridden one of your vetoes, and what did you take from it?
Why ask it
The votes needed to override range from a simple majority in a few states to a supermajority in most, so check the rule in yours. An override means the governor misjudged the chamber or chose to lose on principle, and the answer should say which. Bitterness in the telling suggests the relationship has not recovered.
Can you strike one line from a budget without rejecting the whole thing, and when did you last do it?
Why ask it
Most governors have some form of line-item veto and a few have none, and how far it reaches differs a great deal. Ask for the last item struck and the reason. Few things show as plainly what a governor personally thinks the state should not pay for.
What have you passed with lawmakers from the other party, and what did you give up to get it?
Why ask it
The price is the part to listen for. When the other party runs the legislature nothing passes without a trade, and a governor who names what they conceded is describing a real negotiation. A story with no concession in it was a photo opportunity.
When have you used an executive order instead of waiting for a law, and why?
Why ask it
Executive orders direct the agencies under the governor, and a later governor can usually undo them or a court can be asked to review them. A sound answer explains why the matter belonged with the executive branch. If the real reason is that the votes were not there, a report should say so plainly.
Who draws the voting district maps in this state, and what is your part in it?
Why ask it
Depending on the state, the legislature draws the maps and the governor may sign or veto them, a commission does the job, or the governor has no role at all. Ask how it works where you live. Then ask whether they would reject a map that favored their own party, and note how long the answer takes.
Executive Powers
What happens in your office in the first hours after a disaster hits?
Why ask it
Have them walk through the last real one: who called, what was signed, when help started moving. Anyone who has managed a flood, fire or storm from that office can give times and names. If the account stays general, ask about the emergency management director, who probably did the work and deserves the mention.
What does declaring a state of emergency let you do, and who can end it?
Why ask it
A declaration commonly releases money, lets the governor set aside certain rules for a time and supports a request for federal help, but the powers and their time limits come from each state's law. Who can end it is the half people forget to ask. Some legislatures have given themselves a say in ending or extending an emergency, so find out whether yours has.
When have you called up the National Guard, and what did you ask them to do?
Why ask it
A governor ordinarily commands the state's Guard unless the president has put it under federal orders. Storms, floods and fires are the usual reasons for a state call-up. Ask how long the members were away from their regular jobs and families. Knowing that figure is a sign the order was not signed lightly.
What is the state least ready for?
Why ask it
Harder than asking what it is prepared for, and more useful. A candid governor names one thing: a long power outage, an attack on state computer systems, a drought, a disease outbreak. The follow-up is what this year's budget sets aside for it.
How do you decide whether to grant a pardon or shorten a sentence?
Why ask it
Clemency works differently across the country: some governors decide alone, some need a board's recommendation first, and in some states a board decides and the governor does not. Ask which applies and how many requests are waiting. Listen for what gets weighed, such as time served, conduct since and what the victim's family says.
Is there a clemency request you turned down that stays with you?
Why ask it
Asked quietly, this draws one of the most serious answers a governor gives. Do not press for a name. Skip it on a short class visit with young students, and keep it for an interview where there is time for a careful reply.
How do judges get their seats in this state, and what do you look for when the choice is yours?
Why ask it
Some states have the governor appoint judges, often from a list a nominating commission prepares; others elect them, and the governor only fills seats that open between elections. Learn which system you have before asking. Qualities and a process make a reassuring answer, and talk of loyalty makes the opposite.
How many people do you appoint to boards and commissions, and how does a resident apply for a seat?
Why ask it
The total can run into the hundreds or more, from university trustees to the board that licenses barbers. Many states take applications through the governor's website. If the governor is hazy on the details, get the name of the appointments office, because that is who actually reads the forms.
How do you pick the people who run state agencies, and when did you have to replace one?
Why ask it
Running the agencies is a large part of the job and the least visible. Removing a department head and being able to say why is what managing looks like. Several years with no change at the top of any agency can mean nobody is looking. A reporter can bring an agency that has been in the news.
If a U.S. Senate seat or another elected office became vacant, would you fill it, and how would you choose?
Why ask it
State law decides this. In many states the governor names someone to serve until an election, while others require a special election or limit whom the governor may pick, so ask what the rule is where you live. The choosing half shows whether they would name a caretaker or an ally with plans to stay.
Getting Heard
How can someone like me get a message to you, and who reads it?
Why ask it
A governor's office receives more mail than one person could read, so the truthful answer involves staff who sort and count it by topic. That still matters. Ask how those counts reach the governor and which address or form gets the quickest reply.
If my case is stuck at a state agency, who in your office can help?
Why ask it
Governor's offices commonly have a constituent services team that can press an agency about a license, a benefit claim or a tax refund. Get the team's name and a phone number before you sit down. For a resident with a real problem this is the question to spend your turn on.
Which bill on your desk drew the most calls and letters, and did they change anything?
Why ask it
It tests whether public contact reaches the decision at all. Signing against the weight of the mail can be defensible, and hearing the reasons is the point. An inability to recall any such bill suggests the counts stop at the mailroom.
How can a resident weigh in before a state agency writes a new rule?
Why ask it
Agency rules decide the details that laws leave open, and states generally provide some period for public comment before a rule takes effect. Few residents know where to look. Ask where proposed rules are posted and whether the agency has to respond to what people send in.
Can voters here put a law on the ballot themselves, and what do you think of that?
Why ask it
Some states allow citizen initiatives or referendums and others have no such process, so find out which kind you live in. Governors tend to like ballot measures more when they agree with the result. Whether they would defend a voter-passed law they had opposed is the follow-up.
What records about your office can the public see, and what stays private?
Why ask it
Open records laws differ by state, and some treat the governor's office differently from the agencies. Ask about the calendar and about email specifically. A student can make it concrete by requesting something small, such as last week's schedule, and a reporter can ask how long requests are taking.
Has a student or a class ever brought you an idea that became law?
Why ask it
Bills that began as a class project do get signed, often naming a state symbol and now and then something larger. If the governor has an example, find out what those students did right. If not, ask what it would take, and your class has its next project.
What would you tell a student who wants to be governor one day?
Why ask it
Save it for the end of a class visit. Advice like 'work hard' can be nudged toward something you can do this year, such as paging at the capitol, helping on a campaign or learning to read a budget. Asking what they were doing at your age usually gets a better story than the advice does.
Getting a real answer from a governor
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before you ask
Learn how your state divides the power
Governors do not all have the same job. Veto rules, term limits, who appoints judges, who runs the schools and how clemency works are set by each state's constitution and laws. Spend ten minutes on your state's official website or with a civics teacher before the visit, so that you can tell a real limit from an excuse.
Choose by how much time you get
A class visit usually allows each student one question, a town hall one question and perhaps a follow-up, and an interview ten or twenty minutes. With one turn, take a question from the group that matches why you came. With an interview, start in The Job, move to the budget, and leave Getting Heard for the end.
Bring one fact from where you live
A bridge by its route number, your district's class sizes, the wait at a clinic in your county. A question tied to a place is harder to answer with a speech, and staff are more likely to follow up on it afterwards.
Write it down and keep it short
Two sentences at most: one of context, one that asks. Read it from the card if you are nervous. Governors hear long statements all day, and a short, plain question stands out.
Four ways the conversation goes
On a class visit
Agree as a class who asks what, so six people do not ask why the governor ran. Mix a personal question with one about a power, such as vetoes or the National Guard, and one about how students can be heard. Give one person the job of taking notes, because the answers are your source for the report.
At a town hall
Say your name and your town, ask one question, and stay at the microphone for the reply. If the answer slides past the question, repeat the key half once, politely. Then find the staff member near the door and hand over your contact details and the specifics, which is how a case actually moves.
As a reporter or student journalist
Read the latest budget proposal and recent veto messages first, since both are normally published and both give you a figure to quote back. Ask for examples with dates. If the governor's time runs out, the press office will often take the remaining questions in writing.
When you cannot meet the governor
For a school report, many of these questions can be answered from public sources: the state of the state address, the budget proposal, executive orders and veto messages. You can also send two or three questions by letter or through the office's contact form. Say it is for a class and give your deadline.
What to do with the answers
Check what can be checked
Bills signed, vetoes, executive orders, appointments and budget figures are generally published, usually on the governor's or the legislature's website. Compare the answer with the record, and note in your report where they match and where they do not.
Separate the governor's part from everyone else's
For each answer, mark who would actually have to act: the governor, the legislature, an agency, a separately elected official, a court, the federal government or a city. It makes clear which promises are the governor's to keep, and whom to contact next.
Follow up in writing
If you were promised a reply, send a short note within a week to the staff member you met, repeating the question and the date. Put the same question to your state legislator as well. Two offices looking at one problem often move faster than one.
What wastes the turn
Asking about someone else's job
A pothole on a city street belongs to city hall, and foreign policy belongs to Congress and the president. If you are unsure, ask what the state's part in the matter is. That version always has an answer.
A speech with a question mark
A long statement followed by 'what do you say to that?' invites a long statement back. If you want the governor to know your view, say it in a sentence and then ask something that can only be answered with a fact.
Accepting 'the legislature will not let me'
Sometimes it is true and sometimes it is cover. Ask what the governor has done with the tools that need no vote, such as the budget proposal, appointments, agency rules and the veto.
Assuming your state works like another
What a friend's governor can do, or what a textbook says governors do, may not hold where you live. When a note here says powers differ, treat it as a prompt to ask how it works in your state before you write it down as fact.