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Newsom cements place as star for Democrats

by Julia Mueller - 12/05/23 6:04 AM ET

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is cementing his status as a star in the Democratic Party, emerging as a top defender of President Biden and lifting his national profile amid speculation about future White House ambitions.

Newsom has become a standout surrogate for Biden as he steps further into the national spotlight, fending off concerns about the president’s age and touting the administration’s accomplishments. His recent Fox News debate against 2024 candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) adds to evidence Newsom is placing himself squarely in the public eye as a leading Democratic figure.

“For Newsom, this was further auditioning for the national stage. And I think he got what he wanted,” California-based Democratic strategist Kate Maeder said of the debate with DeSantis. “Newsom is becoming one of the best surrogates for Biden and the Democratic Party. And it’s no surprise to anyone that Newsom is ambitious.”

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In last week’s “Great Red vs. Blue State Debate” on Fox News, Newsom showed off how he could compete against a Republican presidential opponent as the two governors sparred over policy and swapped personal jabs — Newsom calling DeSantis a “bully” and DeSantis saying Newsom is “slick.”

Newsom contended onstage that neither governor would be their party’s nominee in 2024, but the showdown has been looked at as a possible preview of 2028 and beyond.

“[Newsom] clearly is a star for Democrats. He’s clearly someone who has been positioning for a national rise,” said David McCuan, a political science professor at Sonoma State University in California.

“He is clearly someone who’s influential in terms of the shortlist of Democratic national figures.”

The California and Florida governors have been publicly feuding as DeSantis campaigns for the Republican presidential nomination and as Newsom shuts down suspicion he could challenge Biden. In the Fox News debate, the rivals clashed over their stances on immigration, abortion and the COVID-19 pandemic.

DeSantis called California a representation of “the Biden-Harris agenda on steroids” and accused Newsom of running a “shadow campaign” for the Democratic nomination in 2024, though Newsom has been clear he won’t run this cycle while defending the administration and his state.

McCuan quipped that the California governor “can’t become a serious presidential candidate until he’s chewing on a fried pork chop at the Iowa State Fair,” and concurred Newsom’s moves to get more of the national spotlight are “much more about 2026 to 2028” than about next year’s election.

“What you saw at this debate was a guy who is about 60 percent ready for the national stage, but can’t quite make that leap,” McCuan said.

The debate isn’t expected to majorly move the needle for either governor, and DeSantis heads later this week to the fourth Republican presidential primary debate — as he appears to have qualified alongside a few other GOP contenders.

Maeder labeled the on-air matchup with Newsom as “a last-ditch effort” for the Florida governor, once seen as the top GOP White House contender behind former President Trump, to stay relevant as he lags in some recent polls behind former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Sacramento-based Democratic strategist Steven Maviglio said he doesn’t think “too many voters were moved either way” by the Newsom-DeSantis debate when it comes to 2024, but he noted it was a key opportunity for Newsom to introduce himself more to a national audience. The prime-time event scored nearly 5 million viewers.

It was also a chance for many to see Newsom going toe-to-toe with a Republican presidential contender, Maviglio said.

“This isn’t about 2024. It’s about 2028 for him. And in that regard, he can say he was out there fighting for President Biden, which will reap some rewards down the road, and it also shows that he can take the fight to the Republicans,” Maviglio said.

Newsom, who can’t seek a third term as governor due to California term limits, has been critical of his party for not being more aggressive in the face of Republican attacks. Ahead of last year’s midterms, Newsom said Democrats are getting “crushed on narrative” and urged the party to go on offense.

“I think for this round, he’s positioning himself as being the attack-dog-in-chief,” Maviglio said.

Despite his rising star status, Newsom is underwater in his state, the most populous in the nation, according to recent polling.

A Los Angeles Times-UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll published last month found Newsom’s popularity at an all-time low of 44 percent among California voters, down from 55 percent in February.

Newsom’s administration has faced criticisms over California’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns about homelessness in the state — topics that came up during his debate with DeSantis.

McCuan noted Newsom “works really well for the other side,” as Republicans take repeated aim at the big blue Golden State as an example to blast over hot-button issues.

And despite the potential benefits of Newsom’s national profile, experts noted, California voters may also feel somewhat disregarded by their governor as he leaves the state to advocate for Biden elsewhere in the country.

“This is, yes, about being a proxy for the Biden administration. But it’s also about doing a lot of hard work over the next couple of years because he and his team knows where they’re deficient or where they’re lacking,” McCuan said.

Newsom has also worked to boost Harris, who represented California in the Senate before campaigning for the White House, after some Democrats pitched the idea of replacing her on the party’s 2024 ticket.

The governor said in recent months that Harris is “naturally the one lined up” to take on the role if Biden were to forgo running, and said she’s “absolutely” the right person to run alongside the incumbent president.

But observers have pointed out that, if Newsom does try for the Oval Office in 2028, he might find himself going against Harris, who could run on her own even if she gets a second term as vice president in 2024.

“If you’re in the White House, you are pleased with how the governor has done as a proxy. Privately, you’re pretty concerned that he’s eclipsing his political cousin, the vice president,” McCuan theorized.

Newsom is “playing the longer game,” said Aaron Kall, the director of the University of Michigan’s debate program.

Both Biden and Trump, their parties’ respective front-runners, could take on just one more term if they win in 2024, setting the stage for 2028 to be more of a free-for-all.

Kall pointed to the debate with DeSantis as an example of Newsom’s overall strategy to get his name out there years in advance of a possible presidential run — defending the Biden-Harris record, backing up Harris when DeSantis mispronounced her name, and positioning himself as a Democratic team player while also touting his record.

Maeder said it’s hard to predict what the presidential race in 2028 — five years away — will look like, but she said Newsom appears to be “taking all the necessary steps to explore what his future holds.”

“I think the insiders are definitely seeing what he’s doing, and see what he’s building towards,” Maeder said of Newsom. “He’s termed out in two years, and he still has a lot of fight in him.”

Tags Biden-Harris 2024 reelection campaign Gavin Newsom Gavin Newsom Joe Biden President Joe Biden Ron DeSantis Vice President Harris