Newsom signals ‘not a chance’ he would replace Biden on ticket

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) reiterated he is not considering a run for the Democratic nominee, even if President Biden were to step aside.

The governor repeated that he will not run for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination most recently during an interview with journalist Robert Costa on CBS News, which is set to air Sunday morning.

“You delete, delete, delete, delete. ‘Thank you,’ delete, and rinse, repeat,” he said. “I’m all in. No daylight,” Newsom responded when Costa asked how he’s handled personal messages asking if he’ll consider becoming the nominee. Newsom told Costa he has “absolutely not” engaged in private conversations on the topic, either.

“I know one thing: Everything you do in private becomes public. Even private thoughts seem to manifest publicly. So, not a chance,” Newsom said.

The California governor’s latest remarks come in the wake of Biden’s shaky debate performance in late June, which sparked concerns among Democrats and has given rise to conversations about likely contenders to replace the president at the top of the party’s ticket. Newsom’s name has appeared in these discussions, joining other prominent Democrats like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Vice President Harris and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Despite his rising popularity in the party, Newsom has remained a staunch and prominent Biden supporter and has served as a surrogate for the campaign. Newsom first declared in 2022 that he would not run for president during the 2024 election cycle, even if Biden decided against pursuing reelection.

The Biden camp has maintained he will remain in the race and claim the Democratic nomination at the end of August.