Who the Democrats will run in 2028 against likely GOP nominee Vice President JD Vance has become clearer all of a sudden.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he will not seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028 if former Vice President Kamala Harris decides to run, establishing one of the clearest conditions yet around his own potential White House bid.
Newsom made the declaration during an extended interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper that was recorded while the two were fly-fishing in Montana. “I don’t know if she runs, but we’ll see,” Newsom said. “But I wouldn’t run if she ran.” Tapper pressed him to confirm that Harris entering the race would keep him out. “Of course not. Why would I?” Newsom responded. “I wouldn’t do that to her. I wouldn’t do it to me. I wouldn’t waste everyone’s time. Who needs that?”
Newsom said a primary contest between the two California Democrats could become politically destructive because they share many of the same supporters, donors and longtime allies. He described such a matchup as “mutual assured destruction” and suggested other Democratic candidates would benefit from watching Newsom and Harris battle over much of the same political base.
Both built their careers in California politics. Harris served as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general before winning election to the U.S. Senate in 2016. She later became vice president and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024. Newsom served as San Francisco mayor and California lieutenant governor before being elected governor in 2018. Their overlapping political networks have long fueled speculation about whether both might seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.
Newsom has not formally announced a campaign, and Harris has also not said whether she intends to run again. Newsom’s spokesman confirmed that the comments accurately reflect the governor’s current position. “Yep, that’s what he said!” spokesman Izzy Gardon told KCRA after the interview clip was released. A Harris spokesperson did not immediately comment.
Newsom also told Tapper that family considerations would play a major role in any decision to run. The governor and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, have four children, and Newsom said he would not launch a presidential campaign without his family’s support. “If they’re not on board, that’s a non-starter,” he said.
Newsom will leave the governor’s office after the 2026 election cycle because California’s term limits prevent him from seeking a third consecutive term. He has spent increasing amounts of time outside California in recent months and has traveled to states that traditionally receive attention from potential presidential candidates, adding to speculation about his national ambitions.
Still, he has repeatedly stopped short of declaring himself a candidate. During the CNN interview, Newsom also addressed why he did not challenge then-President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination in 2024. “I wasn’t ready,” Newsom said, arguing that presidential candidates need a clear explanation for why they are seeking the office. “It’s shocking how many presidential candidates can’t answer their why,” he said.
