The California governor, who’s already running ads in other states, is poised to challenge Vice President Kamala Harris
A second individual close to the governor, a Los Angeles philanthropist with deep connections in the Democratic Party and a long history of fundraising for its candidates, confirmed Newsom’s intention to run.
But Biden is running again? In a “60 Minutes”Interview aired Sunday, Biden Telled CBS’ Scott Pelley that it’s “much too early”To make a decision. “Look, my intention, as I said to begin with, is that I would run again,” Biden . “But it’s just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen.”
Officially, Newsom — a Democrat who’s expected to easily win a second term in California’s gubernatorial race this November — has saidHe has “sub-zero interest”in the 2024 presidential race. A staffer in Newsom’s administration reiterated that statement to .
His recent actions have created a greater profile for the ex-San Francisco mayor, and he is now more visible outside of California. On Friday, the governor was in The news when he launched billboard campaigns in Texas, Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota and Oklahoma attacking abortion restrictions in those individual states. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has become a wedge issue in elections across the country. Newsom’s billboards direct people to a website – abortion.ca.gov – with information on how to obtain an abortion in California.
Last week, Newsom also issued a public debate challenge to Florida Governor Ron de Santis — who has emerged in recent polls as Republicans’ best bet to challenge Biden in 2024 – with the quip, “I’ll bring my hair gel. You bring your hairspray.”
But the first big clue that the governor’s political plans extend beyond the Golden State occurred in July, when Newsom ran a TV ad campaign that aired in Florida and Ohio, which criticized the Republican Party’s shift to the right on issues such as abortion and free speech.
Newsom may be preparing to increase his war-machine for a national run, according to other indications. According to CNBC, a Wall Street executive who raised money for Biden’s 2020 campaign met with Newsom in recent weeks. Heather Podesta is a DC veteran lobbyist that Newsom has been able to network with. “dozens of wealthy donors”CNBC reported that Newsom was attending a Democratic Governors Association conference. ’s insiders also confirmed Newsom is speaking with political consultants with national election experience.
A Democratic fundraiser pointed out that the governor “has gotten much more moderate in the last few years”After many years of waving the progressive banner and including his support for gay marriage in San Francisco during his time as mayor from 2004 to 2011, he is now retired. To win the general election, candidates for president have historically had to be more in the center.
“Just look at some of the bills he started vetoing [in California],”Fundraiser pointed out. “He has done everything to play toward the middle. But he’s not at all scared to get up and just go after opponents on important issues. He can be a real attack dog.”
Newsom, for example, has recently been added to the list. A bill was rejected that would have allowed California cities to set up sites where addicts could take drugs, showing he’s willing to oppose certain liberal segments of his own party. Newsom, who might run against former President Donald Trump, will need that toughness.
The insiders we spoke with don’t expect Newsom to make any formal announcement that he’ll seek the presidency for several months at least. It would be bad form, the Democratic fundraiser said, to announce future plans while he’s running for a second term as governor. “That would be a real no-no, while this race is still pending,”The individual spoke.
Recent UC-Berkeley Institute of Government Studies Poll found that 61% of California don’t want Biden to seek re-election. According to the poll released on Aug. 19, Newsom and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), are top of the California presidential preferences list for the 2024 Democratic Primary.
Of course, Vice President Kamala Harris — who won statewide races in California as attorney general and U.S. Senator — is expected to seek the presidency should Biden decide not run for a second term. Yet even though Newsom and Harris share California ties, the insiders spoke with say that wouldn’t stop the governor from challenging her.
One of the insiders who confirmed Newsom’s presidential plans, the L.A. philanthropist, previously supported and fundraised for Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign. According to the individual, many within the Democratic Party are now skeptical that Harris will be able to rally the support necessary for the GOP fight in 2024.
“There’s going to be a ton of people coming out against Kamala if Biden doesn’t run,”Harris was a philanthropist from Los Angeles who supported Harris in the past, when she was San Francisco’s District Attorney between 2004 and 2011. Newsom was then mayor.
Biden and Harris’ offices didn’t respond to ’s requests for comment.
As Newsom quietly builds toward a potential 2024 presidential run, he’s currently running against Republican Brian Dahle, a member of the California state senate, in this year’s gubernatorial election. His current re-election effort has attracted a broad range of support from Hollywood and the tech industry, including Jeffrey Katzenberg, Haim Saban, JJ Abrams and Silicon Valley titans Ron Conway and Eric Schmidt — a solid base that Newsom could seek to tap for a possible presidential run.
