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from Dan WaltersCalMatters
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Well, sports fans, how about this scenario — longtime foes Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris facing off for the Democratic presidential nomination three years later?
of the two Californians launched parallel careers in San Francisco nearly three decades ago with the city’s famous political kingpin Willie Brown mentoring them both. Since then, they have carefully avoided direct conflict while maintaining at least a semblance of mutual support.
On Sunday, however, both hinted strongly at 2028 presidential campaigns — Harris for the third time after running out of steam in 2020 and losing to Donald Trump in 2024, and Newsom for the first time after repeatedly dropping interest in the White House during seven years as governor.
Newsom escalated his status as a potential candidate in a pre-taped interview with CBS News which aired on Sunday as Harris dropped a hint in a pre-recorded BBC interview in London, which also aired on Sunday.
Asked if he would “seriously” consider running for president after next year’s midterm elections, Newsom said: “Yes, otherwise I would have lied. I would have just lied. And no … I can’t do that.”
Asked if he was getting close to finding a reason to run, he said: “Fate will determine that.”
Despite his coy response, Newsom is building a national image with a possible run for president by garnering national media attention and appearances in other states.
After Trump returned to the White House, Newsom did was designated as the master resistor and has taken yes mocking Trump on social media publications. Polls show he has gained popularity as a potential candidate.
Meanwhile, Harris is on tour to promote her memoir about her brief campaign against Trump last year after Biden, who picked her as his 2020 running mate, said he would not seek re-election.
After months of uncertainty, Harris announced she was not going to run for governor in 2026, fueling media speculation that she would try again for president in 2028. Her interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuensberg kept the possibility bubbling up.
“I’m not done,” Harris told the interviewer. “I’ve lived my entire career as a life of service, and it’s in my bones.”
Asked about polls showing only tepid support of another White House bid, Harris responded, “If I had listened to the polls, I wouldn’t be running for my first term or my second term — and I certainly wouldn’t be sitting here.”
Kuensberg wrote that Harris had been tight-lipped about her plans to run for president, but “her candor in our conversation was more striking. She was quick, even eager, to frame herself for a new tilt in power. But she made no concrete commitment.”
If Harris is “not done” with politics and the governorship is out of the question, what else could be on her political horizon besides another run for president?
Speaking of potential scenarios, how about this offbeat idea: U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla runs for governor next year and wins. Newsom then appointed Harris to the Senate in exchange for not opposing his campaign for the White House.
The future moves of both will depend on the true relationship between these two ambitious politicians.
Harris’s book, “107 days,” made several digs at other politicians, including Newsom. She wrote that she tried to contact Newsom after Biden’s decision not to seek re-election, but Newsom’s response was, “Trip. I’ll call back.”
“He never did,” Harris added.
Newsom later told reporters that an unknown number appeared on his phone that day, and it wasn’t until later that he realized it was Harris. “At that very moment, I was working with my team to draft a statement,” he said. “I guess that’s in the book too.”
Harris’ book makes no mention of Newsom’s support.
This article was originally published on CalMatters and is republished under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives license.