Oct. 26 (UPI) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed Sunday that he is considering a bid for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.
Newsom, among President Donald Trump’s most strident critics, said during an interview that aired on “CBS News Sunday Morning,” that he is likely to make his decision following the 2026 midterm elections.
“Yeah, I’d be lying otherwise,” he said. “I’d just be lying. And I’m not — I can’t do that.”
Newsom’s current term expires in January 2027, and term limits prevent him from seeking another term as governor, which would clear the way for him to seek the presidential nomination.
“Fate will determine that,” Newsom continued, when asked about his plans to seek his party’s presidential nomination.
Newsom, 58, has made repeated trips to politically sensitive battleground states, including a visit in July to South Carolina, which is currently scheduled to hold the nation’s first 2028 presidential primary.
He met with party leaders and shook hands in local coffee shops, grass roots style, and even went behind the counter to serve espresso to customers, typical of would-be candidates measuring sentiment among likely voters even years before a key election.
“I happen to, and thank God, I’m in the right business,” he said during the interview when discussing his South Carolina trip. “I love people. I actually love people.”
Newsom said he is currently focused on promoting Proposition 50, a California ballot initiative that would allow Democrats in the state to temporarily redraw congressional district boundary lines, which would make them more favorable to his party.
The fate of the measure is scheduled to be decided in a special election this week.
Supporters have said the proposition is in response to efforts by states such as Texas, which has pushed to change district maps to be more favorable to GOP candidates, and increasing their odds of holding on to their slim majorities in the U.S. House.
Former presidential candidate Kamala Harris, another California resident, has also said she is considering another run for the White House.
Harris, a longtime politician whose ties run deep in progressive California politics, said in an interview with the BBC that she has more to offer.
“I am not done,” Harris said. “I have lived my entire career as a life of service and it’s in my bones.”
Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who was the Biden administration’s ambassador to Japan, reportedly is also considering a run for the Democratic nomination.
