Where Governor Newsom Stands With VP Harris As The Nominee

After weeks of speculation following his disastrous debate performance in June, President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he would be stepping aside in the 2024 presidential race and would instead be back Vice President Kamala Harris.

“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” said Biden on X on Sunday. “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”

My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024

Amongst Democrats, the reaction was mostly positive, with many California Democrats in particular thrilled over the possibility of the first Californian Democrat to be President. Senate Candidate and Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) was the first major Californian lawmaker to back her on Sunday, with dozens more following throughout the rest of the day and Monday.

“Joe Biden will go down in history as one of the greatest presidents of our time,” messaged Schiff on X. “He led our nation out of a deadly pandemic and rescued our economy. I am excited to endorse Kamala for President, and give her my full support!”

Joe Biden will go down in history as one of the greatest presidents of our time. He led our nation out of a deadly pandemic and rescued our economy.

I am excited to endorse @KamalaHarris for President, and give her my full support!

Let's go win: https://t.co/iw7eUYJUt7 pic.twitter.com/MtljcY13Ik

— Adam Schiff (@AdamSchiff) July 21, 2024

Even former San Francisco colleagues, like San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, got in on it.

I’m proud to endorse my former Kindergarten classmate and former S.F. public servant @KamalaHarris in her race to save our democracy from Trump extremism. With 106 days to go, she’ll need all of us united behind her. Thank you for stepping in to lead at this critical moment @VP ! pic.twitter.com/A0GCSoB1qW

— Aaron Peskin (@AaronPeskin) July 22, 2024

On the GOP side, Republican reaction was strongly against Harris while also being against Biden for not leaving the race sooner and not resigning. Former president and party nominee Donald Trump said in a CNN interview on Sunday, “He is the worst president in the history of our country. He goes down as the single worst president by far in the history of our country.” He also added that he would be Harris should she become the nominee.

However, one of the biggest names looming over all of this has been Governor Gavin Newsom, and where he stands now is very rocky. For months, Newsom has been Biden’s chief surrogate on the campaign trail, and has been one of the main voices defending him post-first debate with Trump. Adding to that have been the years where it was speculated that Newsom may be as a candidate to run in either 2024 or 2028. He has had to deny repeatedly in recent weeks that he would be replacing Biden on the ticket, while also doing more and more to fuel speculation that he will be running in 2028.

For the last few years, the expected pattern was that Biden would run in 2024, and Newsom, two years after being out of office from being Governor, would slip right into being in the 2028 election, likely against someone like his Florida rival Governor Ron DeSantis, or more recently, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance. But the Biden and Harris announcements on Sunday rocked his world. Where does he go from here? If Harris wins, 2028 is thrown out the window, meaning a likely major run wouldn’t come until 2032.

For at least the near future, Newsom has thrown his support behind Harris. In a series of X messages on Sunday, Newsom said that “President Biden has been an extraordinary, history-making president — a leader who has fought hard for working people and delivered astonishing results for all Americans. He will go down in history as one of the most impactful and selfless presidents.

“Tough. Fearless. Tenacious. With our democracy at stake and our future on the line, no one is better to prosecute the case against Donald Trump’s dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction than America’s Vice President, Kamala Harris.”

Tough. Fearless. Tenacious.

With our democracy at stake and our future on the line, no one is better to prosecute the case against Donald Trump's dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction than America’s Vice President, @KamalaHarris.

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 21, 2024

Before all this, Newsom’s path to 2028 was all but assured. Biden wins, he’s term-limited. Trump wins, he’s term-limited. Now it’s full of different paths.

The most obvious is that Trump beats Harris this year, and his likely 2028 plans remain intact. In fact, with Harris being a previous electoral loser, she likely wouldn’t even run, leading him to fend off against weaker candidates like Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (Who is supporting Harris and said she doesn’t want to be VP) and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (Who is also backing Harris). Plus he gets to face off against a fresh Republican candidate.

Others are scenarios he did not see coming. Should Harris win, Newsom would likely need to get another high profile position, a la Hillary Clinton becoming Secretary of State in 2008, to keep up in relevancy. This means either Newsom hanging on as Governor until 2026 then joining Harris’ cabinet the next term should she win. Another scenario is that she offers Newsom a cabinet position should she win this year, which he would likely accept, meaning that California may have Governor Eleni Kounalakis by the end of the year.

Or, in a Harris win scenario, he may skip the cabinet and go private sector for awhile to keep that ‘Governor’ title intact for interviews and debates. In another turn, he could ask Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) not to run for the Senate again in 2028 and run himself instead, as he would likely not attempt a House run or lower.

In any scenario, however, his world is rocked. Even if Trump wins, as he has been dead-set against him winning this year.

“If you were wondering why he was so insistent on supporting Biden, this is partially the reason,” said Melissa Spielman, a political analyst who focuses on presidential primaries, to the Globe on Monday. “He knew that 2024 was out of the question after digging into it for a bit, so 2028 became his year. 2028 would have meant an open year, with Newsom having ample time to set up his campaign after leaving Sacramento. It was perfect, and he was obviously planning it.

“But now, like you said, those plans are now in danger, and every scenario for him is anxiety inducing. Does Trump win? Does he leave being Governor? Does he run for a non-Presidential office after 2026? Does he ask Padilla to step down for him? Does he take a cabinet position? This will be keeping him up at night until at least November. He knows he won’t be the VP pick, but beyond that, well, he’s going through his options now.”

Newsom is expected to say more about the Harris nomination soon.