Nationally, governors issued 10 executive orders from March 6-12. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) led the field with two. Governors in 41 states issued the fewest orders with zero.
Governors use executive orders to manage executive branch operations. Last week’s executive orders account for 3% of the year-to-date total of 319. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) leads with 80 orders issued since Jan. 1, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) with 49 and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) with 37.
Georgia and Florida lead in the number of executive orders issued for two reasons: unlike most states, in Georgia, the governor uses executive orders to appoint and reappoint members of state boards and judges. In Florida, also unlike most states, the governor uses executive orders for state attorney executive assignments.
Governors in 21 states have issued fewer than five opinions since the start of the year, and those in 15 states have yet to issue any orders so far. In states with a Republican trifecta, governors issued 192 orders, while governors in states with a Democratic trifecta issued 89. A trifecta is when one political party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. In states where neither party holds trifecta control, governors issued 38 orders.
