Gavin Newsom hits the South again as 2028 presidential campaign jockeying heats up

Gavin Newsom is on the road again.The governor left California Tuesday morning for a four-day political swing through the South, wasting little time after the Legislature wrapped up its regular legislative session to whip up votes for Democrats in the midterm elections — and perhaps himself in 2028.Newsom, who is widely expected to run for president, will travel through Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina through Saturday, visiting more than 10 counties while campaigning for Democrats, according to his political team.The governor appears to be capitalizing on South Carolina’s newly elevated role in Democratic presidential politics.The Democratic National Committee voted Aug.

15 to make the state the first stop on its 2028 presidential nominating calendar, with its primary scheduled for Jan.22 — giving Newsom an opportunity to cultivate activists, elected officials and voters in what could become the opening test of any future White House bid.“It’s incredibly important to have boots on the ground with communities in this pivotal first primary state,” said Elizabeth Ashford, a Democratic political strategist in Los Angeles.“It’s going to make all the difference if he decides to run, having those relationships and ground game in place.”Newsom is hardly alone in his pursuit.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, another potential 2028 Democratic contender, was in South Carolina last weekend, making stops in Florence and Orangeburg as he worked to reconnect with black voters who rejected his 2020 presidential campaign.The trip marks Newsom’s seventh visit to the South in three years and comes as the lame duck California governor thirstily courts a national political spotlight and attempts to cement Deep South ties that could be crucial if, and when, he launches a presidential campaign.Things haven’t always gone according to plan, however, with Newsom’s recent trip to Michigan drawing mockery from some fellow Democrats.Newsom’...