California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) was once seen as a shining star in the Democratic Party's sky, a surrogate for President Joe Biden and a voice for his then-ambition to return to high office in 2024.
Newsom's prominence has forced him in the past to deny that he had ambitions to replace Biden at the party's top job.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is conducting a presidential-style fundraising campaign as Democrats begin to consider whether to remove the aging and legally vulnerable incumbent President Joe Biden from the 2024 electoral pool. https://t.co/a9odpdAjqM
—Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) August 2, 2023
That was a long time ago, and it's different now.
Axios Reports Since Kamala Harris was named the 2024 presidential candidate in a backroom deal, it's taken a lot of concentration to watch the California governor take to the public stage.
Newsom has spent little time campaigning in other states since fellow Californian Biden rose to the top of the Democratic field, an abrupt about-face after crisscrossing the country during a particularly tumultuous final few weeks of Biden's campaign.
The governor also had a low presence at last week's Democratic National Convention, opting to make the cable TV and podcast rounds rather than attend breakfasts, speak with reporters or take the main stage with most of his colleagues.
More than a month after the changes, it remains unclear what role Harris will play for Newsom, a longtime ally and sometime rival from San Francisco's elite political circles.
Newsom's low-profile role in the developing Harris campaign has sparked much speculation, with political observers questioning whether his role as a national representative and his own future presidential ambitions will hold up when overshadowed by fellow Californian Harris.
Nathan Click, a spokesman for Newsom's political campaign, told Axios that the ousted governor has his “full support” of Harris and denied that his outlook is affecting his level of involvement in the presidential race.
“He is entirely focused over the next 70 days on electing VP Harris, ultimately defeating Trump, and doing everything in his power to serve the Harris campaign,” Click said in an email cited in the report, “just as he did at the convention, on Fox and elsewhere at the request of the Harris campaign.”
Gavin Newsom is fighting global warming in a jet! https://t.co/PYrbbIzQE9
—Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) October 26, 2021
Click added that Newsom will be the headliner at a fundraiser for Harris on Wednesday in San Mateo County, south of San Francisco, an event that had not previously been announced by Newsom's office or the Harris campaign.
Newsom's campaign said it was also coordinating with the Harris campaign on campaign activities in September, as Newsom himself suggested in brief remarks last week. Los Angeles TimesAxios points out that Harris may not really need a Californian.
“Ultimately, the battleground states are going to be decisive, and if I can fill a void that other candidates can't fill, that's where I'll be,” he said.
