This article explores how federal authority exemplified in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) impacts another significant trend in educational governance and control--the significant growth and expansion of gubernatorial control over education reform. After briefly outlining the history of gubernatorial activism in education reform, the reaction of governors to NCLB is examined, including their opposition to specific provisions of the legislation. Despite some opposition, the endorsement of the goals of NCLB by an overwhelming majority of the nation's governors is attributed to four factors: consistency of purpose with state-level education reform initiatives, the use of NCLB by governors to leverage change within the educational system, the relative newness and lack of public awareness of the law itself, and fears of retribution from federal officials.