Gavin Newsom to Decide on 2028 Presidential Bid by January

California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced his intention to decide by early January on whether to pursue a 2028 presidential campaign. Newsom made this declaration while attending the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference in Antalya, Turkey.

Newsom stated in an interview with Turkey’s Anadolu news agency, “As it relates to 2028, we’ll make that decision in the next few months. I’ll make the determination at the beginning of the year. So we’ll spend the next few weeks with the family and make a decision early January.”

Newsom, who will exit office in January, has often been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Democratic ticket in 2028. Other potential contenders include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Jon Ossoff. However, speculation around Vice President Kamala Harris running could affect Newsom’s decision. Newsom previously committed not to run if Harris entered the race, saying, “I wouldn’t run if she ran.”

In an earlier interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Newsom acknowledged the decision would depend on Harris’s plans. “I don’t know if she runs, but we’ll see,” he remarked, confirming he would not challenge her if she pursued the presidency.

The possibility of multiple Democrats contesting the nomination raises questions about party unity. Newsom expressed reluctance to contribute to potential conflicts, stating, “I wouldn’t do that to her … I wouldn’t do that to you. I wouldn’t waste everyone’s time.”

Newsom, term-limited after 2026, outlined his political timeline shortly after Republican setbacks in the recent midterm elections. Reflecting on these results, he commented, “Donald Trump’s presidency, as we know it, ended last week in the U.S. It was an historic rebuke of his tenure. Now it’s incumbent upon those that were successful to govern and to lead my party. The Democratic Party now has to set forth a positive alternative agenda to Donald Trump.”