Only Half of U.S. Governors Expected to Attend National Governors Meeting

BILOXI, Miss. -- Only about half the governors invited are expected to attend the National Governors Association's annual meeting this weekend on Mississippi's Gulf Coast, according to organizers, their respective offices and party sources.

A Democratic Governors Association source told FOX News that only 16 Democratic governors and 7 Republican governors have confirmed they will attend. A Republican Governors Association said nine GOP governors will attend -- that count includes the governor of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory.

Regardless of the exact head count, several prominent governors will not be there. The list of no-shows includes outgoing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, R; California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, R; Oklahoma Gov. Brady Henry, D; Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, R; Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R; and South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, R.

The main reasons cited for the expected absences are scheduling conflicts and budget uncertainties that many governors are facing back in their states -- like the current economic turmoil that has enveloped California and its governor.

Sanford, meanwhile, is on a personal trip with his wife this weekend, according to his spokesperson, as he tries to reconcile with his family. The South Carolina governor was officially admonished by his own state party following the recent scandal over his affair with an Argentine woman.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, the new head of the Republican Governors Association after Sanford stepped down from that post, is hosting the 101st annual meeting in his home state. The four-day summit will focus on a range of issues including the economy and infrastructure, according to organizers.

The last time the gathering was held in Mississippi was in 1935. Biloxi was one of the Gulf cities hit hard by Hurricane Katrina.