President Barack Obama is meeting with a bipartisan set of newly elected governors on Friday -- including one who 's suing him . Obama has a 4:55 p.m. meeting in the Oval Office with incoming GOP Texas Gov . Greg Abbott , as well as the Republican victors in Illinois , Maryland and Massachusetts , the Democratic winners in Rhode Island and Pennsylvania , and Alaska 's newly elected independent governor . Abbott is leading the 17-state legal challenge of Obama 's recent executive action to halt deportations of the undocumented parents of U.S. citizens , arguing that immigration policy should be left in the hands of Congress . The meeting comes as part of Obama 's outreach effort after Democrats were trounced in November 's midterm elections . States could play a key role in cementing Obama 's legacy . Three of the states that elected GOP governors -- Illinois , Maryland and Massachusetts -- operate , at least in part , their own health insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act . Obama also met privately for an hour with the presumptive new Senate Majority Leader , Mitch McConnell , on Wednesday . `` We had a good conversation about a variety of different issues where we might possibly find common ground , '' the Kentucky Republican told CNN afterward .
President Barack Obama plans to meet with seven newly elected governors on Friday . Among them is Greg Abbott of Texas , who is leading a lawsuit against Obama 's executive action on immigration . The meeting comes two days after Obama met with Mitch McConnell , the top Senate Republican .