California Governor Gavin Newsom Looking to be President: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has largely seen a rising star in the Republican Party – and it is widely expected that he’ll announce an intention to run for president next year. The only thing stopping him may be the sudden resurgence of former President Donald Trump. In fact, it would be difficult for DeSantis to win the nomination, and even if he did, Trump would likely mount a third-party run for president.
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The numbers don’t look for DeSantis, and there is all likelihood that he may need to (and should) wait until 2028.
Should we wait, he almost certainly could face off against another governor – namely California’s Gavin Newsom, another likely presidential hopeful.
Both men are popular within their parties and could use their respective experiences in the state capitol as a stepping stone to the nation’s capital.
Gavin Newsom Visiting Red States – 2028 in His Sights
Newsom has already gone on the offensive – embarking on a red state speaking tour as part of his new Campaign for Democracy initiative, which included a visit to the New College of Florida.
However, some in the Golden State have called out Gavin Newsom – who fended off a recall in 2021 and was then easily elected to a second term last November – for a number of failures.
“California has deep and persistent problems that are made worse by bad policy choices, too frequently blamed on the conduct of state residents instead of the failing policies,” the Editorial Board of the Los Angeles Daily News wrote last year in advance of the election.
“Under Gov. Gavin Newsom, the state has failed to build the water storage projects that voters agreed to fund back in 2014,” the board added – and that point may hit home now as California is out of drought due to the wave of “atmospheric rivers” that have brought a deluge of rain and snow, yet countless millions of gallons of water has also been allowed to flow back into the Pacific Ocean.
Likewise, crime is on the rise in cities such as San Francisco, while housing costs remain among the highest in the nation.
Yet, the most telling sign that some in California don’t like Newsom is the fact that the state saw its population decline for the first time under his watch. Many businesses are also fleeing the Golden State as well, taking their high-paying jobs with them.
It would probably be wise for Gavin Newsom to get his own state in order before looking to the national stage – of course, he likely knows that 2028 is just around the corner. If President Joe Biden wins a second term, he won’t be able to run again, and Vice President Kamala Harris isn’t likely to win even the nomination.
Moreover, if Trump wins a second term, the country may be ready to go in another direction in 2028, and it could be Newsom’s time.
It now increasingly looks like 2028 could be the showdown of the governors.
Author Experience and Expertise:
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
