Newsom on Woke Politics and Identity Issues

California Governor Gavin Newsom admitted in a recent CNN interview that the Democratic Party should shift its focus away from “woke politics.” He emphasized the importance of addressing practical issues such as electricity, childcare, and housing costs. Newsom expressed that, tactically speaking, it’s crucial for Democrats to appear more “culturally normal.”

“From a purely political standpoint, there’s no question that the Democratic Party needs to be, dare I say it, more culturally normal,” Newsom stated. This echoes sentiments he shared at the New York Times Dealbook Summit in late 2025.

He noted, “We’re less inclined to spend a disproportionate amount of time on pronouns and identity politics,” suggesting that the party ought to focus on real-world concerns like the stress of rising electric bills, childcare expenses, medical costs, and housing affordability.

Newsom is known for issuing over 4,000 same-sex marriage licenses during his tenure as mayor of San Francisco in 2004, a period he termed the “Winter of Love,” which challenged both state and federal restrictions on same-sex marriage. This move even led then-Senator Barack Obama to distance himself from Newsom.

Now, Newsom warns that the party risks alienating many voters by sticking strictly to identity politics. “I’ve been at the forefront on marriage equality for a long time, so I understand this as a recipient of this and as someone who is leading on this issue,” he explained. He further commented on the nuances of competitive sports and suggested that failing to navigate these complexities could lead to losing voter support.

Recently, Newsom attracted criticism for remarks made during a book promotion event where he claimed, “I’m just like you,” in a conversation with Atlanta’s black Democratic mayor, Andrew Dickens. Dickens, who disclosed he received a 960 on his SAT and has difficulty with reading speeches, drew scrutiny following Newsom’s comments, with accusations of racism emerging from various quarters, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz and others.

In response to the backlash, Newsom defended himself on social media, arguing, “I didn’t care that the President of the United States posted a video of President Obama with a monkey or called African countries inappropriate names. But you’re calling me a racist for talking about my lifelong struggle with dyslexia? No false outrage, Sean.”