Gavin Newsom explains more of his thinking on a 2028 run

By Arit John, CNN

(CNN) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded on his comments about a potential 2028 presidential campaign during a wide-ranging interview Monday on CNN’s “The Story Is with Elex Michaelson.”

“People talk about it and you’d be lying if you haven’t thought about it, processed it,” Newsom said. “But quite literally I’m making the case – that’s why I have this initiative, Prop 50 – there might not be a 2028 election that’s free and fair.”

The governor, who is term-limited and will leave office in January 2027, said that he hasn’t thought about a presidential run “beyond just a few people bringing things up and talking about the future.” But Newsom, like a handful of other potential 2028 candidates, has been more forthcoming recently about his political prospects.

For years, the California governor said he had “sub-zero” interest in running for president, even as he appeared to be taking steps to raise his national profile. Newsom said Monday his stance has changed because “everything has changed.” He referred to the president’s decision to deploy the National Guard in Los Angeles and other cities as an example of new norms that have reshaped the country.

“I just think we’re on the other side of something radically different, not marginally different,” Newsom said. “Everything has changed in terms of my mindset, my focus, my energy, my perspective on the world we’re living in.”

A Newsom presidential campaign would need to confront some of the image issues he’d likely face in a Democratic primary, namely the question of whether Democrats want to run someone seen as a San Francisco liberal. The governor said he plans to tackle the perception some Americans have of him in a book he’s releasing next year.

Newsom, who spent most of his childhood raised by a single mother who worked multiple jobs, said the biggest misconception about him is “this notion of the silver spoon” and he “was born into great wealth and privilege.”

“It’s quite the contrary,” he said. “I’m going to be pushing back in that respect.”

California is holding a consequential vote for the midterms

At a time when Democrats are looking for new party leaders, Newsom has led the effort to pass Proposition 50, a ballot measure that would allow his party to make five GOP-held House seats in California more favorable for Democrats.

Newsom said that the Department of Justice’s move to send election monitors to six California counties ahead of the November 4 vote on Proposition 50 was an effort to chill free speech.

“I mean, it’s a pattern and practice,” he said. “They’re doing it as part of an intimidation strategy. They’re trying to suppress the vote.”

Newsom also defended Proposition 50 from criticism leveled by former California Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has warned Democrats would be reluctant to give up control of any new seats. If the measure passes, the state would replace maps drawn by an independent commission with new maps drawn by California Democrats through the 2030 election.

“This is temporary, it’s transparent and it’s democratic,” Newsom said.

At the same time, Newsom argued that the passage of Proposition 50 – along with electoral wins in the New Jersey and Virginia governors’ races – would boost the Democratic Party.

“The narrative is going to shift: Democrats are finally now no longer on their back heels, they’re on their toes,” Newsom said. “It’s about weakness versus strength, and the challenge the Democrats have had is we’ve appeared weak and meek. And now we are asserting ourselves.”

The governor also weighed in on state politics. He said US Senator Alex Padilla, a California Democrat whom he appointed to the seat, would be “an outstanding governor,” if he chose to run in the 2026 race.

That primary was shaken up in recent weeks after former Rep. Katie Porter, seen as a frontrunner, faced backlash over videos of her berating staff and angrily avoiding follow-up questions in a news interview. Newsom said he reached out to her and said she deserved some grace.

“We all have a bad day,” he said.

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