Gavin Newsom reveals surprise 2028 move if Kamala Harris pursues White House bid

WASHINGTON, DC: California Governor Gavin Newsom may be one of the most outspoken contenders eyeing the 2028 Democratic nomination, but he appears willing to put his White House ambitions on ice for one person alone: Kamala Harris.

The 58-year-old California Governor recently made it clear that he won’t launch a 2028 White House bid if the former vice president decides to run for president again.

Newsom and Harris, both California Democrats, are widely seen as two of the party establishment’s leading potential contenders for the 2028 presidential nomination.

With his second term as governor coming to an end this year, Newsom has presented himself as a prominent counterweight to President Donald Trump, fueling speculation that he is laying the groundwork for a White House run in 2028. 

Gavin Newsom says running with Kamala Harris would be a 'gift from God for everybody else'

Newsom was in conversation with CNN’s Jake Tapper during an extended interview at his in-laws' ranch in Montana, when he detailed how the former vice president, his former colleague and rumored frenemy, could change his decision.

“I wouldn’t run if she ran,” Newsom said while fly-fishing with Tapper. “I wouldn’t do that to her … I wouldn’t waste anyone’s time. Who needs that?” he further explained, calling it “mutually assured destruction.”

It would be a “gift from God for everybody else” if both California Democrats ran, he said.

When Tapper countered that Harris had already run twice and Newsom had yet to enter a presidential race, the California governor argued that a head-to-head primary would likely divide their overlapping base of Democratic voters.

“I know her base of supporters. I know her friends. The [Venn] diagram on that is just pure crossover,” he said, adding, “I wouldn’t do that to people.”

Newsom’s interview marks the first time that he’s addressed forgoing a White House bid if his Golden State counterpart were to join the 2028 primary mix.

The Democratic race for presidential contender

Harris, who has made two unsuccessful bids for the White House, currently leads several early polls of potential Democratic contenders.

Newsom, meanwhile, saw his odds of securing the 2028 nomination on prediction market Polymarket drop to 7% last week as potential rivals, including Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen Jon Ossoff of Georgia, appeared to gain momentum.

Newsom is currently laying the groundwork as he continues to travel to states like South Carolina and Michigan.

The former vice president has also remained active on the political circuit this year, making appearances in key states ahead of the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential primary, including visits to South Carolina and Nevada this spring.

A source familiar with Harris’ political operation also noted that Gabriel Uy, a former senior staffer at the Democratic National Committee, left the party this year to join her team.

“Staff is being deployed to key states. Political circles are talking about how the presidential primary calendar is in her favor,” the source told the New York Post, referencing South Carolina and Nevada as the first two states to vote.

“Whether or not donors would support her running again, though? Those are all factors to consider. You just have to meet the moment. You got to be honest with yourself. Do you represent the zeitgeist in the moment, or are you wasting everybody’s time?” the insider added.