Gavin Newsom Places Ads in Key 2020 States

Transitioning from San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors to Mayor to California’s Lt. Governor to Governor, Gavin Newsom has proven that quickly climbing through the political ranks is something of a habit for the 51-year old political powerhouse.

Now, despite having been sworn in as California’s 40^th Governor just this month, political ads appearing in key states outside of California are creating speculation that Newsom may already have his sights set on higher office.

Popping up on major search engines and social media sites such as Facebook and Google, political ads featuring Governor Newsom have been spotted in Ohio, Florida, Michigan and more. According to the Washington-based Democratic digital political ad firm Acronym, the ads seem to be concentrated within some of 2016’s pivotal swing states, fueling the impression that this is more than a list-building exercise.

Before campaigning for Governor, Newsom repeatedly said that he will not run for President in 2020. But with a wide-open field of Democrats drooling over the opportunity to take down Trump, the temptation to enter a chaotic field might be too strong for the ambitious new governor to resist.

After being subject to intense questioning, last Saturday Newsom’s strategist and Democratic political consultant Dan Newman denied any and all plans that Newsom would leave California’s political pinnacle so soon.

Instead, Newman maintained that Newsom’s online presence has been around far before he even had gubernatorial ambitions. Newman also denied any targeting of key states and insisted that the several ads are sponsored nationwide.

Newsom has already proposed ‘universal healthcare’ to all of California and in one of the ads, he markets the idea again promising he will devote “every single second of my governorship working like hell to give every family access to quality, affordable healthcare.”

Ads take on President Trump over the border

But surely Newsom couldn’t let President Trump off the hook. In a second ad, he condemns the President’s proposed border separating the U.S. and Mexico and echoes the theme of resistance that was clear throughout his gubernatorial campaign.

“He’s always embraced innovation, and was an early adopter building a robust, active, online presence, including digital ads that allow people who support his work,” Newman said before adding “in this case opposing the wall and supporting universal healthcare.”

Encouraging people to “take action and join the fight,” Newsom’s ads include links where people can add their information and email to further support his effort. If a 2020 campaign fails to materialize, those names will possibly come in handy in 2024 or 2028.