Newsom says he won’t run for president in 2024, even if Biden doesn’t seek reelection

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said he won’t run for president in 2024, even if President Biden declines to run for another term. 

Newsom said in an interview with Politico that he has told the White House that he is “all in” on Biden running for reelection and told Biden himself during a phone call on Election Day earlier this month. 

He also said he will not run for president if Biden does not run but was less firm about the 2028 election. 

Newsom had been rumored as a possible Democratic candidate for president in 2024, especially if Biden doesn’t run. 

He criticized the Democratic Party for its messaging ahead of the midterm elections, urging members to be more aggressive in challenging Republican narratives, and ran ads criticizing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, both considered potential top contenders for the GOP nomination in future presidential contests.

Newsom also easily won reelection as governor of California earlier this month after fending off a recall effort last year.

Observers have noted Biden as a winner from the results of the midterms, as the Democratic Party managed to outperform polls on its way to keeping a majority in the Senate and losing control of the House only narrowly. 

Biden has indicated that he intends to run for president again and will make a final decision early next year. 

Polling has also shown increased Democratic support coalescing around Biden running for reelection. 

Newsom said he hopes Biden runs and that he thinks the incumbent can beat former President Trump again if he is the GOP nominee. 

Trump announced his third bid for the White House last week, becoming the first major candidate to jump into the race.