California Governor Gavin Newsom is betting that loyalty to Joe Biden will set him apart in the 2028 Democratic primary. While other potential candidates have publicly distanced themselves from the outgoing president, Newsom has spent the past 18 months building a relationship with Biden and his family, positioning himself as the ex-president's most vocal defender within a crowded field.
The strategy carries real stakes. Biden remains deeply unpopular with the general electorate, but among Democratic primary voters, particularly Black and Latino voters, he retains significant support. A CNN/SSRS poll from last month showed just 30% of Americans view Biden positively overall, but 53% of Black Americans and 40% of Latinos hold favorable views. That backing could prove decisive in a primary contest.
Newsom has made his position unmistakable. In South Carolina earlier this year, he declared: "I'll never turn my back on Joe Biden." He has repeatedly called Biden "one of the most successful presidents in the last century" and praised his administration as "a masterclass of policymaking." Even when acknowledging differences on immigration policy, Newsom has framed his defense in personal terms, citing Biden's character and legislative accomplishments, particularly his ability to pass major bills with bipartisan support.
The calculation appears to be paying dividends within Biden's circle. The ex-president and his team view Newsom far more warmly than other potential 2028 contenders, creating a notable contrast with the treatment he affords Vice President Kamala Harris. The friction between Biden and Harris has become impossible to ignore. In her recent book "107 Days," Harris criticized Biden's decision to run for reelection at age 81 as "recklessness." When confronted with the passage on NBC's "Today" show, Jill Biden responded curtly: "That is her point of view and if she felt that way, she should have said it."
Newsom's approach stands in stark contrast. Last week, he hosted Hunter Biden on his podcast, where the former president's son suggested Newsom had the makings of a future president. Using language reminiscent of his father's famous 1988 campaign line, Hunter Biden told Newsom: "I'll come campaign for you or against you, whatever helps most." Such visibility sends a powerful signal about family backing.
Other Democratic heavyweights have taken the opposite tack. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro recently criticized how the Biden administration implemented key policies, saying the administration "didn't provide those specific tangible things that people could see or feel." He noted that years after Biden's broadband law passed, zero Pennsylvanians have been connected to high-speed affordable internet through the program because "the dollars were never driven out." Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut has similarly acknowledged that "the Biden administration made some pretty big mistakes."
The Newsom strategy carries risks, however. The governor was one of Biden's most aggressive defenders regarding his fitness for office following the devastating June 2024 debate against Trump. On NBC's "Meet the Press" last November, Newsom acknowledged there had been one concerning moment with Biden at a Southern California fundraiser that gave him pause, though he attributed it to jet lag and travel fatigue. When pressed by Axios in March about whether Biden could govern if reelected, Newsom sidestepped the question but noted that "the health issues have obviously accelerated," referencing Biden's cancer diagnosis.
Those comments create potential vulnerabilities if Newsom needs to pivot away from Biden during a campaign, particularly if primary voters begin to view the loyalty as blind or politically opportunistic. Yet for now, Newsom is gambling that in a Democratic primary electorate still warm toward Biden, standing shoulder to shoulder with the ex-president carries more upside than the safer distance other candidates have chosen.
Author James Rodriguez: "Newsom is betting the farm that Biden's real support among Democratic voters outweighs his liability with everyone else, and so far that gamble seems to be working in ways his rivals didn't anticipate."
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