Newsom says he’s never stood in Kamala Harris' way as speculation of 2028 bid grows

WASHINGTON, DC: California Governor Gavin Newsom is openly weighing a potential showdown with former Vice President Kamala Harris as he fuels speculation about his 2028 presidential ambitions.

In a new interview with CNN, the California governor addressed the possibility of facing his longtime political ally turned rival, just as he embarks on a national book tour widely viewed as a prelude to a White House bid. 

Gavin Newsom weighs in on a possible 2028 showdown with Kamala Harris

In a CNN interview that aired on Sunday, February 22, Dana Bash asked Gavin Newsom what would happen if his and Kamala Harris’ careers “intersect and collide.”

Newsom replied, “Well, I’m San Francisco now, she’s LA. So there’s a little distance between the two of us. You know, fate will determine that.” He added, “I’ve never gotten in the way of her ambition, ever. I haven’t. And I don’t imagine I would in the future.”

When Bash asked what would happen if they ran against each other for president, Newsom said, “Yeah, I just – that’s fate. I don’t – you know, you can only control what you can control.”

He has openly expressed interest in the 2028 presidential race. Harris chose not to run for governor to succeed him but has left the door open for a third presidential bid. She previously served as San Francisco’s district attorney, California attorney general, US senator, and vice president. Newsom was San Francisco’s mayor before becoming lieutenant governor and then governor of California.

Gavin Newsom recounts his son’s text about opposing a presidential run

Gavin Newsom also said his decision to run for president would depend on his wife and four children. On CNN’s 'State of the Union Sunday', Dana Bash asked, "Last question. What are the metrics that will determine whether you run for president?"

Newsom joked, "There’s five of them: Dutch, Brooklyn, Hunter. You get the drill." (His wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and his other daughter, Montana, make up the rest.)

When Bash asked if they wanted him to run, Newsom replied, “It depends on the day,” and recounted a text from one of his sons. The boy had asked if he was running based on a news headline and told him, “I’m too young. You need to spend more time with us.” The 58-year-old said he promised to make the decision as a family.

Bash referenced Newsom’s new book, 'Young Man in a Hurry', in which he writes that his mother discouraged him from entering politics. "This is why I was talking about fate," Newsom said. "It will be done as a family, and it’ll be done as a unit, and it will be done in a partnership with these magnificent creatures."

He added, "I’m just so blessed — two boys, two girls. They’re perfectly imperfect, because they’re all composites of everything in the book, me, and they’re all works in progress. But, God, are they beautiful and loving, and they just have huge hearts."