Gavin Newsom has been mentioned as a possible successor to President Biden if he drops out of the 2024 presidential race, but the liberal governor may not be the best candidate to challenge former President Trump, a California political commentator told Fox News Digital.
Newsom may be popular among Democratic leaders and progressive lawmakers who back California’s liberal policies, but it’s unclear how popular he would be as a national candidate, where Republicans have slammed the governor’s policies on the economy, homelessness and crime.
“However, his popularity is declining even here in California, with recent polls showing a majority of voters believe the state is heading in the wrong direction,” William Swaim, president of the California Policy Center, told Fox News Digital.
“And he doesn’t seem to have captured the enthusiasm of the national party as anything more than a Biden surrogate.” Swaim added. “There’s an important strategic consideration for Democrats: Newsom contributes nothing to the national campaign.”
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President Biden and California Governor Gavin Newsom (Getty Images)
Swaim said California’s electoral votes would go to the Democrats no matter which Democrat runs for president, but if Democrats turn to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer or Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as their top presidential candidates, they could win each of those crucial battleground states in November.
Last year, Governor Newsom debated Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Fox News’ Sean Hannity. The two governors, among other things, spoke out against taxes and the administration. Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But in a debate with Trump, “he might convince undecideds who don’t follow California politics that he’s worked a miracle here.”
“And like Trump, he’s a smart debater, a counterpuncher who can pivot any attack to more favorable territory and easily make up stories on the spot,” Swaim said. “It’s a real skill, diabolical but effective on under-informed voters. You saw this in his televised debate with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. At one point, he accused DeSantis of lying about California having the highest taxes in the nation. We all know the truth. And in May, Newsom admitted the truth and said his state has the highest taxes in the nation.”
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Donald Trump arrived at Trump Tower on May 30, 2024, after being convicted of 34 counts of first-degree falsifying business records. (Felipe Ramares for Fox News Digital)
Yet even as Newsom has fervently declared his support for the Biden-Harris ticket, attention has been drawn to his alleged shadow campaign.
“I will never turn my back President Biden said, “There is no Democrat in my party that would do anything like that, and we support him, especially after tonight’s election,” Newsom said Thursday in comments that appeared intended to dispel rumors that he was running a shadow campaign.
Newsom added, “I’ve spent a lot of time with him. I know Joe Biden. I know what he’s accomplished over the last three and a half years. I know what he’s capable of doing. And I have no qualms.”
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to reporters after the debate between President Biden and former President Trump, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Newsom is also due to head to New Hampshire as the head guest at a Democratic campaign event just days after the presidential debate between Biden and Trump, further fuelling speculation that he could be preparing to take Biden’s place if he drops out of the 2024 race.
The event, called the “Blue Summer Campaign Kickoff,” taking place on July 8, is being led by Democrats in the New Hampshire House and Senate.
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New Hampshire is a key battleground state in the general election, and Newsom is a key surrogate for Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign and plans to campaign for the president and other Democratic candidates during his time in the state, according to a source familiar with Newsom’s plans.
Get the latest 2024 campaign updates, exclusive interviews and more on Fox News Digital’s Election Hub.
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
