Republican Governors Embrace DOGE Cost-Cutting Initiatives/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Republican governors across red states are launching their own versions of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, aiming to cut costs and modernize bureaucracy. While some applaud these reforms, critics argue they’re political branding exercises that duplicate existing oversight. The movement signals GOP ambitions ahead of 2028 and a focus on conservative fiscal priorities.
DOGE Movement Sweeps Red States Amid Budget Battles: Quick Looks
- DOGE Spreads Nationwide: 26 states launch cost-cutting initiatives inspired by Trump’s DOGE.
- Governors Embrace Branding: State leaders tout “DOGE” to align with conservative base.
- Mixed Results: Some programs yield savings, others spark criticism as political stunts.
- Tech And AI Focus: States eye IT modernization and digital efficiency tools.
- Hot-Button Targets: DOGE efforts often focus on welfare rolls and DEI programs.
- Political Overtones: Some governors position themselves for 2028 presidential runs.
- Conservatives Praise Efforts: Libertarian think tanks see incremental value.
- Critics Cry Foul: Progressives warn of cuts to essential services and jobs.
Republican Governors Embrace DOGE Cost-Cutting Initiatives
Deep Look
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Department of Government Efficiency — DOGE for short — started as one of President Donald Trump’s boldest experiments, helmed in its early days by tech billionaire Elon Musk and accompanied by chainsaws, viral memes, and promises to slash waste. Now, nearly two years later, DOGE has become a rallying cry for Republican governors across the country, eager to prove their budget-slashing credentials and align themselves with Trump’s populist brand of conservative governance.
From Florida to Montana, red-state leaders are rolling out DOGE-inspired reforms. They’re branding their efforts with flashy acronyms, promising to modernize government operations, cut waste, and — in some cases — target ideological programs like diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
“It’s a way to show we’re serious about fiscal responsibility,” said Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who launched a DOGE-style task force in January. “I like to say we were doing DOGE before DOGE was a thing.”
Governors Eye Political Payoff
While governors have long touted their ability to trim budgets and cut red tape, DOGE has upped the stakes. It offers Republican leaders a chance to demonstrate loyalty to Trump and bolster conservative credentials — especially for those harboring presidential ambitions for 2028.
Some governors, like Florida’s Ron DeSantis, Louisiana’s Jeff Landry, and Arkansas’s Sarah Huckabee Sanders, have tied their reforms directly to hot-button conservative causes, seeking to position themselves as heirs to Trump’s legacy of aggressive cost-cutting.
In Louisiana, Gov. Jeff Landry rebranded his state’s “Fiscal Responsibility Program” as Louisiana DOGE. He touted a partnership with the federal government to purge ineligible individuals from welfare rolls, claiming $70 million in Medicaid savings as of June. “This is unprecedented coordination,” Landry said, emphasizing that taxpayers shouldn’t foot the bill for fraudulent benefits.
No Chainsaws, But Plenty Of Spreadsheets
Unlike Musk’s dramatic CPAC appearance wielding a chainsaw as a metaphor for budget cuts, most state-level DOGE efforts are more methodical — and bureaucratic.
Governors are creating new offices or task forces to consolidate procurement, modernize IT systems, deploy AI tools, or even reduce office space and car fleets. Many of these changes, experts note, are fairly routine.
“It’s the same stuff you do on a pretty regular basis anyway in state government,” said Steve Slivinski, a senior fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute. “There’s nothing super radical about trying to find savings or consolidate services.”
While the initiatives may result in incremental improvements, Slivinski said, much of the DOGE push is more branding exercise than groundbreaking reform.
“Branding it DOGE is more of a press op rather than anything new or substantially different than what they usually do.”
Critics Warn Of Hidden Agendas
Analysts at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute (EPI) see darker motives behind the DOGE fervor. They argue the brand is a convenient cover for Republicans to advance longstanding goals to reduce government services, weaken public-sector unions, and shift power away from career civil servants toward political appointees or private contractors.
“It’s not actually about cutting costs because of some fiscal responsibility,” said EPI analyst Nina Mast. “This is about consolidating power and gutting public services.”
EPI researchers say many of these initiatives duplicate functions already performed by state auditors or legislative oversight committees. “It’s wasteful in itself,” Mast argued.
Oklahoma’s DOGE Gamble
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has leaned heavily into the DOGE trend, boasting on the state’s official DOGE website that he’s “been DOGE-ing in Oklahoma since before it was cool.”
Stitt’s administration made headlines this spring when it refused $157 million in federal public health grants, including $132 million earmarked to boost epidemiology and lab capacity for disease outbreaks. The governor’s team argued that the funding was excessive and unnecessary.
But the decision drew fierce backlash from Democrats and public health advocates, who pointed to rising cases of measles and whooping cough in Oklahoma and criticized the chaotic transfer of the state’s public health lab from Oklahoma City to Stillwater.
“This isn’t leadership — it’s negligence,” said Oklahoma State Sen. Carri Hicks, a Democrat, accusing Stitt of gambling with public health for political points.
Nonetheless, Oklahoma’s DOGE program has continued, recommending changes in federal law, soliciting savings ideas from the public, and publishing spreadsheets detailing cost-cutting moves — from going paperless to buying robotic lawnmowers for Capitol grounds.
Florida Cracks Down On Local Spending
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has made DOGE a cornerstone of his approach to government. In February, he signed an executive order establishing DOGE teams within each state agency. DeSantis promised to scrutinize university spending, local government budgets, and especially DEI initiatives.
In June, the Florida legislature passed laws granting DeSantis sweeping authority to demand records from local governments and universities — and to impose fines if they don’t comply. After a signing ceremony, DeSantis declared on social media: “We now have full authority to DOGE local governments.”
The governor has also floated the idea of abolishing property taxes that fund local governments, a move critics say would gut municipal services and schools.
Arkansas Claims Early DOGE Status
In Arkansas, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders insists her state was “doing DOGE before DOGE was a thing.” Her administration rolled out Arkansas Forward in 2024, which later adopted DOGE branding. The program produced a 97-page report identifying hundreds of potential savings totaling $300 million from the state’s $6.5 billion budget.
Those savings, Sanders acknowledged, may take years to realize, with many tied to modernizing IT systems and streamlining purchasing contracts. Some initiatives even require upfront investment to achieve long-term cuts.
DOGE’s Long-Term Impact Unclear
Analysts say it’s too early to judge whether the DOGE craze will deliver substantial savings or lasting structural change. Many governors’ proposals remain in planning phases, with promised savings years away.
For now, critics warn that cutting costs on paper may translate into cuts in services for vulnerable populations. For example, Louisiana’s Medicaid purge has already drawn concern from health advocates worried about legitimate beneficiaries losing coverage.
Despite skepticism, the political value of DOGE remains potent. Governors who want to appear as conservative reformers can now point to shiny logos, task forces, and press conferences announcing new cost-cutting efforts.
“It’s performative in many ways,” said Slivinski of Cato. “But there’s also a real incentive for politicians to show they’re fighting waste. Whether it amounts to real savings or just political theater—that’s the $64,000 question.”
One thing is certain: in the Trump-era GOP, no one wants to be seen as lagging behind the DOGE curve. With the 2028 presidential race already casting a long shadow, Republican governors are racing to prove they can be the most DOGE of them all.
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