As Kamala Harris prepares to accept the Democratic nomination for president on Thursday night, many are wondering what happened to the other California liberal many believed could take Joe Biden’s place.
Gavin Newsom, the two-term governor of the Golden State, spent more than a year positioning himself as a potential Biden successor, even taking enough of a stance to go ahead with a debate against Ron DeSantis on Fox News.
Instead, this week, Newsom has been relegated to conducting interviews as a surrogate and announcing Harris’s nomination on behalf of his state’s delegates.
Newsom has not even had a dedicated space to speak at a convention that has included everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Ana Navarro.
But those close to him suggest there is still a bright future ahead for the governor, even though his term has ended and two younger Democrats occupy the state’s U.S. Senate seats.
With Kamala Harris set to accept the Democratic nomination for president on Thursday night, many are wondering what happened to Gavin Newsom (pictured left), the other California liberal who many believed could take Joe Biden’s place.
Newsom has been relegated to doing interviews as a surrogate and announcing Harris’ nomination on behalf of his state’s delegates.
“Ridiculous,” said Newsom spokesman Nathan Click. The Sacramento Bee If his boss’s star had gone out.
“He’s excited about the candidacy and he’s going to go out there like he’s done before. He’s focused on defeating Donald Trump in 2024.”
Newsom and Vice President Kamala Harris rose to political power via the San Francisco Bay Area.
His public appearance began in 2022, when he began criticizing Democrats for being weak on their own agenda.
“Where is the Democratic Party? Why don’t we stand up more firmly, more resolutely? Why don’t we denounce this?”
He seemed to have become the spokesman for the Democratic Party, launching a super PAC called the Campaign for Democracy and touring deeply Republican states.
The campaign culminated in the December 2023 debate with his Florida counterpart DeSantis, who pointed out his hypocrisy during COVID-19 by going to the fancy restaurant The French Laundry and sending his children to in-person private schools while its residents were still under lockdown.
He said California ran out of UHauls because so many people were moving to red states, including Florida. He said among the new Florida residents is Newsom’s wife’s father.
Biden gave one of his final public speeches on Monday night. After dropping out of the race, many suggested that Newsom wanted the job
Newsom and Vice President Kamala Harris rose to political power via the San Francisco Bay Area.
Newsom did not back down in the one-on-one debate in Alpharetta, Georgia, and taunted DeSantis by saying neither of them will be presidential candidates in 2024.
“You almost have to try to ruin California,” DeSantis said during his enthusiastic opening remarks to explain why his state is superior. “That’s what Gavin Newsom has done since he’s been governor.”
Newsom initially challenged DeSantis to a debate in September 2022. At the time, DeSantis was not yet running in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
The governor’s profile made him the focus of headlines after Joe Biden’s debate disaster, with many suggesting he could win an open primary against Harris.
But Newsom immediately headed to New Hampshire to campaign for Joe Biden, which won’t stop some from speculating he’ll replace the president on the ticket.
Newsom, despite speculation, said flatly that he would “never turn my back on President Biden” and promised he was not running a secret campaign.
“I don’t know any Democrat in my party who would do that. And especially after tonight, we support him,” he said.
Instead, he did his best to reassure Americans that the president is still capable.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (left) and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (right) met for a one-on-one debate hosted by Fox News and moderated by Sean Hannity (center) in December in Alpharetta, Georgia.
“I spent a lot of time with him. I know Joe Biden. I know what he’s accomplished in the last three and a half years. I know what he’s capable of. And I have no fears.”
Newsom, 56, told DailyMail.com that claims he could replace Biden, 81, in November were “a farce”.
He seemingly proved his own claim correct when he almost immediately endorsed Harris when she declared her intention to run.
“Tough. Fearless. Tenacious. With our democracy at stake and our future at stake, no one is better able to carry the case against Donald Trump’s dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction than the Vice President of the United States,” Newsom posted in the X hours after Biden dropped out.
Newsom’s endorsement of Harris furthers the two’s long, intertwined political careers and shows solidarity between them.
He also confirmed earlier this month that he would not challenge Harris for president in 2024, a commitment he made long ago, saying he “of course” would not run against her.
On Thursday night, Newsom’s only major appearance was again on Fox News, where his fellow Californian was preparing for the biggest night of her political life.
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