The latest fundraising numbers from the Democratic Governors Association, which is tasked with the tough job of maintaining the party's 28 to 22 advantage in governorships around the country in 2009 and 2010, are pretty outstanding:

The Democratic Governors Association today announced what the group is calling a "record-breaking" first quarter fundraising take of $5.3M, the most the raised in an off-year first quarter. The organization brought in $23M last year and $18.1M in 2006.

"Governors are on the frontline of our economic recovery, and it's important to elect people who believe that we need to invest in our schools, help hardworking families over the hump of tough times and focus on creating jobs," said MT Gov. Brian Schweitzer, DGA chairman, in a release. "It's gratifying that our supporters continue to see the value of investing in these races for the once-in-a-generation elections in 2009 and 2010."

The Governor races around the country in 2009 and 2010 are key for the future of the Democratic Party, as they will in most cases be the final elections prior to the upcoming redistricting processes around the country. With Republicans maintaining a robust history of trying to gerrymander their way into power or to keep power (see, e.g., the ridiculous and unlawful effort spearheaded by Tom DeLay and his lackeys back in 2003 to muck up the district lines in Texas) and the party unlikely to retake the House any time soon without the districts looking significantly different than they do today, it is imperative that the Democrats are assured a seat at the table by electing and reelecting Democratic Governors over the next two years. So kudos to DGA Chairman Brian Schweitzer, executive director Nathan Daschle, and the whole team at the committee for such a strong fundraising quarter.