Vice President Kamala Harris edges out Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) as the voters’ favorite to replace President Joe Biden at the top of the ticket, but that’s not necessarily bad news for him. 

Political strategists and Democratic Californians say waiting to mount a presidential bid until the 2028 election cycle could buy Newsom valuable time to build name recognition and save him from a chaotic race this year. If Democrats do end up replacing the top of their ticket, Biden’s replacement will be racing against the clock to pull off a challenging, last-minute victory against former President Donald Trump.