California Governor Gavin Newsom announced he will not challenge former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2028 presidential primary if she decides to run, calling a potential matchup "mutually assured destruction" due to their overlapping voter bases. While Harris has not finalized her 2028 plans, other Democrats like Pete Buttigieg and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are also positioning themselves. Meanwhile, Newsom faces domestic pressure from a federal investigation into his travel expenses.
Newsom pledge on Harris candidacy
- ▪Gavin Newsom characterized a potential 2028 primary contest against Kamala Harris as "mutually assured destruction" and an electoral "gift from God" for other candidates
- ▪California Governor Gavin Newsom stated in a CNN interview released on September 14, 2026, that he will not run for president in 2028 if former Vice President Kamala Harris decides to run
2028 Democratic primary positioning
- ▪Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated in August 2026 that he was "more inclined than not" to run for president in 2028
- ▪A May 2026 Lake Research Partners poll of 800 likely Democratic primary voters found Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom leading a ranked-choice test of the 2028 field
- ▪Gavin Newsom stated that he plans to make his final decision regarding a 2028 presidential campaign after the 2026 midterm elections
- ▪Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated in August 2026 that she has not ruled out a 2028 presidential run, while she reorganizes her political team
- ▪Former Vice President Kamala Harris stated on Megan Rapinoe's podcast on September 10, 2026, that she has not yet decided whether she will run for president in 2028
DOJ investigation of Newsom
- ▪Federal investigators issued subpoenas in early September 2026 seeking records from the California State Protocol Foundation, a nonprofit that pays for Governor Gavin Newsom's travel expenses
- ▪The federal subpoenas issued in September 2026 requested communications and testimony involving Gavin Newsom, his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and current and former aides
- ▪Gavin Newsom's spokesperson Tara Gallegos denounced the federal travel expense investigation as a "baseless MAGA conspiracy theory" orchestrated by Donald Trump to target political enemies
California Democratic voter overlap
- ▪Gavin Newsom argued that he and Kamala Harris share a nearly identical base of supporters and friends, describing their political Venn diagram as "pure crossover."
- ▪CNN anchor Jake Tapper countered Gavin Newsom's argument by pointing out that Kamala Harris has already run for president twice and lost, whereas Newsom has never run
Newsom national profile building
- ▪Gavin Newsom launched a podcast interviewing national figures, including Hunter Biden and various Democratic governors, shortly after Donald Trump took office for a second term
- ▪Gavin Newsom has built his national profile by traveling to South Carolina to participate in the South Carolina Democratic Party's "On the Road" series
Debatable claims
- ▪Gavin Newsom should challenge Kamala Harris in the 2028 primary
- ▪Private foundations should be barred from funding public officials' travel
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