As they gather for their annual winter meeting, the nation's Democratic governors say they're the "best path forward" for a party now out of power in the nation's capital, and the "last line of defense" as President-elect Trump returns to the White House.

The Democrats lost the White House and the Senate majority, and failed to flip the House, in last month's elections.

But Democrats held the line in this year's gubernatorial elections, and continue to hold 23 of the 50 governors' offices.

The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) highlights their governors "represent more than half of the U.S. population, including in five of the seven biggest presidential battlegrounds (AZ, MI, NC, PA and WI) as well as deep red states like Kansas and Kentucky."

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"At a time when the Democratic Party is looking for the path back to victory, Democratic governors continue to win by earning the trust of voters by meeting them where they are on their biggest everyday challenges," DGA executive director Meghan Meehan-Draper highlighted.

And she emphasized that "who your governor is has never mattered more – and with Republicans in control of the federal government, there will be even higher stakes and more resources necessary for the 38 gubernatorial elections in 2025 and 2026, including the hard work already underway to flip Virginia and hold New Jersey in 2025."

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Democratic governors and state attorneys general played a high-profile role in pushing back via political and legal battles during Trump's first term in the White House – and several are ready to reprise that role.

Two of the most high-profile Democratic governors, California's Gavin Newsom and Illinois' JB Pritzker, have already begun to "Trump-proof" their solidly blue states.

And Pritzker, along with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, last month launched a group called Governors Safeguarding Democracy, in order to resist the incoming Trump administration.

The rival Republican Governors Association criticized the Democrats' strategy.

"The fact that Americans resoundingly rejected the Democratic Party agenda just one month ago, and yet Democrats continue to believe running against an agenda of lower costs, more safety, and more freedom is their winning message shows just how wholly out of touch they are with the country," RGA communications director Courtney Alexander argued.

But longtime Democratic strategist Maria Cardona pointed to her party's governors as a "focus of progress and protection" with Trump returning to the White House.

But Cardona, a Democratic National Committee member, said the governors will also "be the ones that are going to show Americans the path forward." 

"Democratic governors have always been innovative and creative and know what works both to push back against MAGA extremism, as well as bring people together with commonsense bi-partisanship.," Cardona added. "The country needs that smart, tested, measured yet passionate approach now more than ever."

Some of the governors will also be some of the early high-profile potential contenders for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.

Newsom, Pritzker, Polis, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, are among the names often mentioned as possible White House hopefuls in the next presidential election.