California Governor Gavin Newsom has said he would not seek the Democratic presidential nomination if former Vice-President Kamala Harris decides to enter the race.
Newsom made the comment in an upcoming CNN interview, positioning the two Californians as potential rivals in the 2028 Democratic presidential contest.
Both Newsom and Harris are regarded as prominent figures within the Democratic Party and possible contenders for the party’s nomination. Newsom, whose second term as California governor ends this year, has increasingly presented himself as a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump, fuelling speculation that he is preparing for a presidential campaign.
However, Newsom said he would not want to challenge Harris in the same primary if she chooses to run, arguing that such a contest would unnecessarily consume voters’ time and benefit their political opponents.
“I wouldn’t do that to her,” Newsom told CNN anchor Jake Tapper. “I wouldn’t waste everybody’s time.”
“The zen [sic] diagram on that, it’s pure cross over,” Newsom said. “I wouldn’t do that to people.”
Newsom acknowledged that he had considered seeking the presidency in 2024 but ultimately decided he was not prepared to enter the race.
He said he was still evaluating whether he would be ready for the next presidential contest, stressing the importance of assessing whether his political message fits the circumstances of the time.
“You have to meet the moment,” Newsom said. “You have to be honest with yourself. Do you represent the zeitgeist of the moment? Are you wasting everybody’s time?”
The interview was conducted while Newsom and Tapper were fly-fishing on Montana’s Bitterroot River. Newsom’s in-laws own a ranch in the area.
Newsom’s comments come despite his growing efforts to build a stronger national political profile.
The governor has adopted an increasingly confrontational approach towards Trump on social media, regularly criticising the president and his policies. He has also worked with political “influencers” to amplify his political message and reach wider audiences.
Newsom played a prominent role in a California redistricting ballot initiative, using the issue to help organise a broader political response to Trump’s efforts to influence congressional redistricting in Republican-led states.
The California governor’s growing national visibility has fuelled speculation that he could seek the Democratic nomination once his time as governor ends.
Harris, meanwhile, has maintained a relatively low public profile since her unsuccessful 2024 presidential campaign against Trump.
She said publicly in July that she had not yet made a decision about whether she would seek the presidency again.
Harris lost the 2024 election to Trump after then-President Joe Biden withdrew from the race late in the campaign amid concerns over his apparent cognitive decline.
Despite the defeat, Harris remains one of the Democratic Party’s best-known figures and is still considered a potential contender for the party’s presidential nomination.
Newsom’s latest remarks therefore leave open the possibility of a future presidential campaign while indicating that he would not seek to compete directly against Harris if she decides to run.
