Senate Minority Leader Debbie Madronas (N-DMG), Asst. Minority Leader Nadan Saralo (N-WEL) and many in the NAT caucus are hoping to persuade their colleagues who are toying with the notion to seek reelection to the Senate anyway, despite the allure of state governorships.
The latest senators to be courted by their colleagues are Onakiah's Ernie O'Larra and POG's John Paul Liffrey, who are both up for reelection this year.
Liffrey had long been eyeing POG's open governor's seat, which is up for grabs this year.
The young senator from Kingham is known for his moderate policies and for his photogenic temperament. He'd be the most high-profile Nationalist candidate in the race, should he decided to run.
O'Larra has more recently entertained the idea of seeking his state's governorship.
Popular Conservative incumbent Bobby Hafen is up for reelection this year, and it'd be tough to dethrone him.
O'Larra is popular, too, though. And his moderate voting record would lend him real credibility in a conservative state.
Spokespeople for both Liffrey and O'Larra have confirmed that both senators have received visits from Madronas, Saralo and other NAT senators, with the intention being to dissuade the two from seeking governorships.
Madronas also reportedly spoke candidly with all NAT senators at a caucus meeting.
Cameras are not allowed in caucus meetings, but sources who attended, including senators and their staff members, all confirmed to GNN that Madronas urged NAT members who are up for reelection to seek reelection to the Senate instead of seeking governorships.
"Simply put, the NAT cannot afford to have all our incumbent senators leave and go seek office elsewhere," said one NAT senator, who asked not to be identified because the meeting was supposed to be confidential.
For now, both Liffrey and O'Larra have not announced plans to run for governor in their respective states. And both are relatively young (48 and 52, respectively), so they could easily run for governor in four years.
But the fact they're considering abandoning their Senate seats and possibly running for other positions has to be concerning to Madronas, as she seeks to rebuild the party's ranks after 2024's Conservative wave election, which saw the NAT lose eight seats and the Conservatives retake the majority for the first time in 20 years.
Others in the business say it's nearly too late for Liffrey and O'Larra to jump into their states' governors races anyway. Other candidates are already established and have taken front-runner status.
"It would be a tall order for these two senators to suddenly enter the race and leap into the lead. Not impossible, but tough," said Matt Hawkins, a political analyst with the Midway Group.
Neither Liffrey nor O'Larra have commented on running for governor. But both have expressed interest in the idea in the past.
For the time being, they remain in the Senate and have officially filed paperwork to seek reelection.
Neither have a prominent Conservative opponent yet, and both have healthy war chests to fund their campaigns.
The main question at this point is if the Conservatives will hold their majority and maintain a lead in the upper chamber, or if the Nationalists will be able to swing the Senate back into their hands; a doubtful outcome but technically possible.
Most experts agree it will likely take several elections before the NAT can claw its way back to power in the Senate, although recent elections have seen up to nine incumbent senators lose reelection, so it's not beyond the realm of possibilities.
Staying in the Senate, though, would be a big help to Madronas, and could curry favor with the minority leader after the election, which could see both Liffrey and O'Larra elevated to higher-profile committee positions and leadership titles.
Presently, the POG governor's race is rated as a toss-up. The Onakiah governor's race is rated as "Conservative Favored."
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