California Governor Gavin Newsom is everywhere these days—or at least, that’s how it feels to anyone following American politics. From barnstorming his home state in support of redistricting reform to grabbing the international spotlight at the United Nations Climate Conference in Brazil, Newsom’s omnipresence has become a defining feature of the early jockeying for the 2028 presidential race. Politico has already touted him as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination as of November 17, 2025, and his every move is being scrutinized for signs of an official campaign launch.
According to the Megyn Kelly Show, Newsom is leaning heavily into his national profile, pairing a high-visibility book rollout with a strategic media blitz. His memoir, Young Man in a Hurry, is set to hit shelves in February, promising a fresh round of national interviews and a deeper look into the governor’s worldview. The timing is no accident. With just one year left in his second and final term as California’s chief executive, Newsom is using every tool at his disposal to stay at the center of the national conversation.
But what’s really fueling the Newsom-for-president buzz? For starters, his campaign for Proposition 50—a redistricting measure that could hand Democrats five more House seats in the 2026 midterms—has given him a powerful platform. Newsom didn’t just campaign across California; after a decisive victory on Prop 50, he jetted to Houston to address a hall packed with union workers, demonstrating his appeal beyond the West Coast. As Politico reports, Newsom’s presence at the UN Climate Conference in Brazil was another calculated move, seizing the stage left open by President Donald Trump and reinforcing his credentials as a progressive climate advocate.
Behind the scenes, Newsom’s operation is humming like a well-oiled machine. "Gavin’s infrastructure is a highly developed, ready-for-president infrastructure," an insider told Politico. "It was that last year—and it is even more so now." That infrastructure proved its mettle during the Prop 50 campaign, which raised nearly $40 million in small-dollar contributions and dramatically expanded Newsom’s digital-fundraising capabilities. This cash machine, as insiders call it, will be central to Newsom’s next act: backing Democratic candidates nationwide in a bid to restore control of the House in 2026.
"He has the ability to help next year in a way that few other people in politics do," another Newsom ally told Politico. "If we win the House back next year, he’s going to be the guy who did that." Even if Newsom’s PAC, the Campaign for Democracy, doesn’t swing enough races to flip the House, his energetic involvement is building a network of political allies—a favor bank that could pay dividends if he launches a 2028 primary campaign.
For now, Newsom is playing coy about his intentions. He’s said he’ll give "serious thought" to a presidential run after the 2026 midterms, but his actions suggest a campaign is already taking shape. The first phase of groundwork is well underway, with Newsom positioning himself as an aggressive, creative opponent of Donald Trump. He’s stood up to Trump’s National Guard deployment in Los Angeles and relentlessly trolled the former president on social media. The recent release of thousands of emails related to Jeffrey Epstein even prompted Newsom’s press office to post a cartoon lampooning Trump—an audacious move that underscores his willingness to wade into controversial territory.
"Newsom has figured out how to win the attention primary, which is what this is all about now," an insider told Politico. In today’s hyper-saturated media environment, that kind of visibility is a currency all its own.
Of course, not everyone is convinced that Newsom’s fast start will translate into long-term momentum. Prospective rivals have taken note of his attempts to pivot to the center on issues like redistricting, trans participation in women’s sports, and limiting health care for undocumented immigrants. As one strategist for a potential 2028 Democratic contender put it, "It’ll be interesting to see if ‘I’m outsmarting the Democratic Party’ is going to pay off in a year where you’re trying to appeal to a base to get you through a primary." The left wing of the party, energized by recent victories like Zohran Mamdani’s win in the New York City mayor’s race, could produce a formidable challenger—perhaps even someone with the star power of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Still, Newsom’s allies believe his current positioning is exactly where he needs to be. "Being front and center now on the national fight with Republicans around gerrymandering, it’s pretty damn good positioning right out of the box," an adviser to another likely 2028 candidate told Politico. "It gives Newsom a platform to get invited to places. But in 2028, the question isn’t going to be ‘who is the most anti-Trump?’ It’s about what’s next."
That’s why, behind closed doors, Newsom’s team is already shaping the policy platform he’ll need to appeal to a broad Democratic electorate. They’re determined to avoid the pitfalls that tripped up other candidates, like Kamala Harris in 2019, who entered the primary without clear positions on major issues. "You gotta be ready when you start," a Newsom ally explained. The goal is to have every plank in place by April 1, 2027, in anticipation of a crowded field and a grueling debate schedule.
One major challenge will be selling his California record to voters in swing states. Republicans and outlets like Fox News have caricatured the Golden State as a dystopian landscape of high taxes and homelessness. But Newsom’s team sees this as an asset. "Ultimately, ‘Trump fighter’ gets Newsom to the middle of the debate stage," the ally said. "What gets him to the podium at the convention is a message about the future. And he comes from a state that embodies the future."
Whether that vision resonates with voters in Michigan, North Carolina, and Nevada remains to be seen. As one strategist put it, "There’s no goddamn silver bullet to this. It’s a million things. It is putting in the retail politics work, going to that dinner for the Democratic Party in small-town, rural America. And some of it is just throwing shit up on the wall and seeing what sticks."
With the 2026 midterms looming and the Democratic field still wide open, all eyes are on Gavin Newsom. His next moves could shape not just his own political destiny, but the future direction of the Democratic Party itself.
