Colorado, Utah governors team up to fight political polarization in ‘Disagree Better’ campaign
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox want to “save your family dinners.”
That’s the message of their new “Disagree Better” campaign launched on Friday. The year-long initiative seeks to reduce political polarization nationwide — from the debate stage to the dining room table — with Polis, a Democrat, and Cox, a Republican, leading the way.
“This division cannot continue,” Cox said. “We can disagree without hating each other, we can disagree without tearing each other down. … How can we get back to the foundations of our country?”
The campaign is Cox’s initiative as the new leader of the National Governors Association. Cox was elected chair of the association on Friday. Polis was elected vice chair.
“Nothing could be more needed at this time in our history than efforts to pull us together, to refine the language of civil discourse,” Polis said. “Never let our differences separate us from our love of one another. That’s the challenge we face.”
The campaign will feature several regional events throughout the year, including one in Colorado. There will be public service announcements, best-practice curriculum to guide citizens through conflicts in their own lives, and public debates hosted at college campuses across the country to model “how to disagree without attacking each other,” Cox said.
The National Governors Association will also attempt to put the initiative into practice by identifying a consensus on immigration policy among its members.
Jared Polis names former House Speaker Mark Ferrandino to head budget office
Over the next six months, numerous ads will be released with bipartisan governors promoting the campaign. Cox and Polis also encourage local politicians and regular citizens to film their own videos and post them on social media.
“Show that you can still be friends with people that you disagree with. That’s how we’re going to change this,” Cox said. “This is not something that’s going to change overnight. … We’re hoping to light a spark.”
The Disagree Better campaign comes as political polarization is at an all-time high in the United States.
The percentage of Democrats and Republicans who view the opposing party “very unfavorably” has tripled in the last 30 years, reaching 54% and 62% respectively in 2022, according to the Pew Research Center.
Cox and Polis announced the campaign following the National Governors Association’s 2023 annual meeting in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Attendees included first lady Jill Biden and outgoing association chair New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.
“I’m excited to congratulate the incoming chair and vice chairs, Gov. Cox and Abby and Gov. Polis and Marlon, as they embark on what I’m sure will be a success-filled tenure,” Biden said during the meeting. “Joe and I look forward to the work ahead and we can’t wait to get started.”
Polis’s election as vice chair comes at the end of his term as chair of the Western Governors Association this past year.
Colorado Republicans call for special session, Polis says it’s the voters’ turn to weigh in