“Imperfect, Relentless Progress”: James Gore Reflects on His Year Leading America’s Counties

Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore just wrapped up a year-long term as president of the National Association of Counties (NACo), representing over 3,000 counties across the U.S.—and if you ask him what he learned, he won’t quote policy manuals or spreadsheets. Instead, he compares it to wine. “The best wine comes from grapes that are grown under stress,” Gore said on the latest episode of The Good Government Show with Dave Martin. “It’s the same with people—and the same with government.”

Gore, who served as NACo president while continuing his work in Sonoma County, used his platform to spotlight the power of local problem-solving in divisive times. “My real political party is the Get Stuff Done party,” he said. “Government is messy—but that doesn’t mean it’s dirty. It means you show up every day, you listen, and you deliver imperfect, relentless progress.”

That mindset came from years on the front lines. Gore recounted how his community faced three megafires between 2017 and 2020. After each one, the county didn’t just rebuild—they adapted. “We overhauled our emergency response systems,” he said. “We installed wildfire cameras, upgraded evacuation zones, and launched public education campaigns. When the next fires came, we were ready. That’s what local government can do.”

In his year as NACo president, Gore traveled the country—not to grandstand, but to learn. He cited innovations from Beaver County, Utah, which leads the nation in renewable energy per capita, and from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where AI and fusion research are transforming once-rural economies. “There’s a quiet revolution happening in counties,” he said. “But we never hear about it because good news doesn’t go viral.”

Gore also called out the growing disconnect between national narratives and local realities. “People are addicted to doomscrolling and dopamine, but not to actual results,” he said. “I’ve met leaders across the spectrum—left, right, rural, urban—who are fixing roads, solving homelessness, and expanding broadband. You just won’t see them on cable news.”

As his NACo presidency ends, Gore returns to Sonoma with optimism—and urgency. “I refuse to subject my children to a pessimistic future,” he said. “If we want government to work, we have to show up, roll up our sleeves, and do the work where it matters most—close to home.”