Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) said he would not run for president in 2028 if former Vice President Kamala Harris entered the race.
Newsom has been eyed as a possible 2028 front-runner as early as 2024, and much of his posturing since President Donald Trump took office has been interpreted as a not-so-subtle attempt to prepare for the next election. Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper, Newsom said he would not run if Harris did, presenting it as an obvious move.
“Of course not. Why would I? I wouldn’t do that to her. I wouldn’t do it to me. Why would I?” Newsom said. “I wouldn’t waste everyone’s time. Who needs that?”
When Tapper pressed him on the matter, the governor explained that a competing run would likely destroy them both.
“First of all, electorally, it’s a gift from God for everybody else,” the governor said. “They enjoy the hell out of it. Mutual assured destruction. It services no greater good.”
When Tapper countered that Harris already ran twice and lost, Newsom stuck to his guns.
“I know her base of supporters,” he said. “I know her friends. The Venn diagram on that is just pure crossover. It’s not. I wouldn’t do that to people.”
If Newsom sticks to the pledge, it would knock out one of the most capable Democrats in the 2028 election. Many analysts view a third Harris run as almost a given.
Current polling of the potential Democratic candidates has Harris in the lead, usually beating Newsom by double digits. One of the most recent polls, commissioned by the Financial Times, has Harris with 29% of the vote, followed by Newsom at 14%, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) at 11%, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 9%, and Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) at 8%.
Given the early timing in the race, polls have varied wildly, however.
On the Republican side, Vice President JD Vance is the clear favorite by a long shot in every poll, followed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a distant second. One of the most recent polls, commissioned by the Financial Times, had Vance in first with 42% of the vote, followed by Rubio at 21%, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) at 9%, and Donald Trump Jr. at 7%.