Is the next US presidential campaign battle between Vance and Newsom? Recently, Trump really didn't expect that Vance was originally nominated as the presidential candidate in 2028, which was already stable, but he didn't expect the Democratic Party to kill a "strong enemy". California Governor Newsom has publicly expressed his willingness to run for president, which also shows that the Democratic Party is not without a figure, and Newsom is a new star cultivated by the Democratic Party.
California Governor Gavin Newsom finally pierced that layer of window paper. This political star who has been trained by the Democratic Party for many years officially challenged Trumpism. "Yes, I would be lying if I said I didn't consider running." On October 26, California Governor Gavin Newsom's statement on CBS's "Sunday Morning" program officially kicked off the warm-up prelude to the 2028 US presidential election.
As the Democratic governor of the nation's most populous state, this is the first time Newsom has publicly admitted to considering running for president and set a timeline after the 2026 midterm elections. At the same time, the Republican Party has begun to build a succession pattern around Vice President Vance, and Trump himself even publicly stated that Vance is "most likely" to become the successor of his political legacy. It can be seen that the political game in 2028 has been staged three years ahead of schedule, and Newsom's intention to stand for election undoubtedly marks that the Democratic Party has found the most powerful standard bearer to challenge Trumpism.
Newsom admitted in an interview: "I am very concerned about who will participate and who can seize that opportunity in 2028." These remarks not only demonstrated his willingness to run for election, but also maintained a flexible space. He will anchor the final decision after the 2026 mid-term elections, an arrangement with great strategic considerations. By then, Newsom will complete his second term as governor, gain the "political window period" stipulated in the Constitution, and be able to use the results of the midterm elections to assess the national political trend. Newsom said: "Fate will give the answer." He talked about his childhood dyslexia and only scored 960 on the SAT, admitting that "life is full of surprises."
The timetable given by Newsom also reflects his skillful ability to control the pace. This phased advancement demonstrates his team's deep understanding of the rules of the campaign. In fact, he has adopted a series of targeted measures in recent years to pave the way for a potential presidential election. In terms of climate change, he has led California to upgrade its "carbon neutrality" goal, plans to completely ban the sale of fuel vehicles starting in 2035, and publicly criticized Trump's stance of "withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and weakening environmental supervision." Immigration policy is another important battlefield in the confrontation between Newsom and Trumpism. When the Trump administration promoted tough law enforcement, Newsom refused the federal government to deploy the National Guard in California to participate in immigration sweeps, and signed a decree restricting state law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
However, his core strategy still lies in the battle for redistricting. Faced with the Texas Republican Party's move to consolidate its advantages by amending district boundaries, Newsom pushed California to propose the corresponding Proposition 50 in an attempt to win 3-5 additional House seats for the Democratic Party.
Although Newsom has an advantage, his national campaign path is still full of thorns. The latest polls show that Newsom ranks second among potential Democratic presidential candidates and has less than 50% support among registered voters nationwide. Moreover, regional labeling is one of the main obstacles that Newsom needs to overcome. Historically, from Ronald Reagan to Richard Nixon, California has given birth to presidents many times, but in the past two decades, this important liberal town has become a national campaign. Negative assets.
Newsom needs to prove to voters in the middle that his policies work not only on the east and west coasts, but also resonate with voters in the Rust Belt and Sun Belt. California's internal problems may also become the target of attacks by opponents. California's homeless crisis has not yet been eradicated. In May, he ordered the evacuation of camps and spent more than US$3 billion, but was criticized for "treating the symptoms but not the root cause." In addition, facility problems that occurred in the response to mountain fires have also caused public dissatisfaction. These issues may be used by opponents to question his ability to govern.
And not without competitors within the Democratic Party, former vice president Kamala Harris suggested the day before that “woman will be president sooner or later” and indicated her intention to run. But Harris faced her own challenge, her support rate dropped from 41 percent to 19 percent, and was criticized for “not holding up the pressure in 2024”. In addition, Illinois’s $3.9 billion governor, Plitzk, and Rockefeller’s Michigan governor, Whitmer, are also potential competitors.
On the Republican side, Vice President Vance has become the most favored candidate in 2028. Trump made it clear in August this year that Vance was "most likely" to become his "successor." At the Conservative Political Action Conference in February this year, Vance won the poll of potential Republican candidates in 2028 with a 61% approval rating. Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson believes that Vance is the only candidate who can inherit and expand Trump's legacy. Vance's advantages lie in his deep Trump background and his "America First" policy stance.
But in any case, the results of the 2026 midterm elections will greatly enhance Newsom's campaign momentum if the Democratic Party can regain control of the House. On the contrary, if the Republican Party maintains its advantage, it will prove that Trumpism still has a broad market, and the results of Newsom's California Proposition 50 will become a key indicator, which will be announced in the special election in early November.