WASHINGTON - The nation's Democratic governors, who fell short in November of achieving a majority of seats in the country, made the most of the situation here the other day in mapping plans for teamwork in the year ahead.

With the Republicans still holding a 26-24 edge in governorships, Gov. Gary Locke of Washington, the Democratic Governors' Association chairman, did some quick arithmetic. He announced the Democratic governors will represent 53 percent of the nation's population when the party's new winners in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin are sworn in.

By holding a majority of the largest states, he reasoned, "we're now the leaders of this great country," a contention that surely would be challenged by a Republican Party that not only still claims more governors but also the White House and both houses of Congress.

Regardless of the numbers, the reinforced ranks of the Democratic governors did put on an aggressive front opening their winter meeting here. They made it clear they believe their congressional brethren dropped the ball in not offering an effective party message in the fall and said they intend to do something about it.

In the midterm campaign, the Democrats in Congress sought to make the sluggish economy the issue across the country, also attacking corporate greed and corruption. But President Bush and the GOP trumped both in the most critical races by playing on patriotism toward the war on terrorism.

The Democratic governors now say their congressional leaders failed to offer strong alternatives in economic policy to address what Mr. Locke called the "angst" among the American public over growing joblessness. With their greater numbers, he said, the governors are going to demand a stronger party voice in shaping an economic stimulus package to counter the one Mr. Bush is expected to offer for the next congressional session.

One point on which they already agree, said Gov.-elect Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, is that Mr. Bush has gone far enough with tax cuts for the rich. If any new ones are to be enacted, he said, they must be "directly related to growth," to stimulate investment in the nation's infrastructure, including schools.

Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa said three of the four new Democratic governors were elected from "the heartland" because "they had plans to strengthen the economy on Main Street," with proposals to benefit small businesses and their employees.

Mr. Locke emphasized the Democratic governors' willingness to enter into a more effective partnership with the Republican administration, but not without registering the continuing complaint among all governors over "unfunded mandates." These are the various programs enacted by Congress and passed to the states for implementation without the needed federal funding. In such areas as education and homeland security, the states are left holding the bag.

Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove of Mississippi cited the federal government's failure to meet agreed-upon shares of costs in education. "We call on the federal government to live up to that responsibility," he said. "'No Child Left Behind' will be implemented in Washington." The feds agreed to pay 40 percent of that program, he said, but so far are bearing only 15 percent.

The matter of help in providing homeland security is a particularly touchy point among the governors. Gov. Ruth Ann Minner of Delaware said: "We haven't seen the funding coming for that," even as her state has been asked to mobilize its National Guard for a possible war with Iraq.

In demanding a larger piece of the action in Democratic economic planning, these governors are, as Mr. Locke put it, "the innovators" in their state laboratories for economic solutions.

But leaders in Congress often have taken an aloof attitude toward them in shaping national party policy. The governors hope their party's congressional election failure, which they escaped, will give them a stronger voice than they have enjoyed in these councils in the past.

Jules Witcover writes from The Sun's Washington bureau. His column appears Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.