In summary
Newsom has been involved in national politics during the presidential campaign and is being forced to make a decision as the second Trump administration approaches.
Gov. Gavin Newsom was at the center of the turmoil this summer as President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign collapsed.
He became perhaps Biden’s most prominent and powerful surrogate in the turmoil following June’s presidential debate fiasco, giving interviews and interviews as Democrats increasingly doubted whether the president was still up to the job. He defended Biden during his campaign.
Newsom’s role as head cheerleader has boosted his own political capital in the process and elevated him to the top of the list of potential successors, though Newsom has publicly denied any presidential aspirations.
That opportunity was ultimately given to Vice President Kamala Harris after Biden ultimately withdrew from the race and endorsed her in late July. But her loss to President-elect Donald Trump in November raises questions about what awaits Newsom when he steps down as California governor in two years, just in time for a possible run for the White House in 2028. The question of whether this is the case has once again arisen.
He won’t let go of the national attention he grabbed this summer anytime soon. Just days after Trump’s victory, Newsom had already cast California as a leader in the resistance to the second Trump administration and called for a special session of Congress to seek funding for anticipated lawsuits against the federal government. .
Could a return to the role of resistance leader further strengthen Mr. Newsom’s appeal to loyal Democrats beyond California’s borders who will decide who will decide the next presidential primary? Or will another California liberal be deemed simply too dangerous?
In the meantime, Newsom still has conditions to manage.
It’s been a tough year for the governor, who has had to negotiate a state budget that closes an estimated deficit in the tens of billions of dollars. At a time when California voters narrowly adopted his plan to overhaul the way the state cares for people with severe mental illness, a major policy priority, he even announced a His political capital was also hurt when he failed in his attempts to remove tough measures. The vote ultimately passed with an overwhelming majority.
Newsom gained momentum by mentioning his ongoing feud with the oil industry over gas prices. Despite facing resistance from lawmakers and skepticism about the effectiveness of his proposals, Newsom introduced legislation this fall that would smooth out seasonal price spikes by increasing state oversight of refinery maintenance. passed by Congress. He celebrated with an unusual public signing ceremony in the State Capitol Rotunda.
Outlook for 2025
These headwinds will not disappear next year. California is entering a period of widening deficits, state finance officials say, with Newsom planning large, expensive new programs to reboot the state’s struggling economy and fight back against the second Trump administration. I predict that his ambitions are in jeopardy. California’s legislative leaders are also calling for a renewed focus on lowering the cost of living in the state, following a disappointing Democratic election that saw voters move broadly to the right. If he finds the appetite for anti-Trump resistance waning a second time, Newsom will have to decide whether to continue playing to a national audience or focus his attention more fully on California’s issues. Probably.
