Newsom's South Carolina trip doubles as test of Democrats' rebuilding strategy

HARDEEVILLE, South Carolina — Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is returning to South Carolina on Thursday with something to offer and something to gain.

The governor, who is term-limited at the end of the year and widely expected to launch a 2028 presidential campaign, begins a three-day swing through South Carolina and North Carolina. The trip marks his latest visit to the Palmetto State and gives him another opportunity to introduce himself to voters in one of the Democratic Party’s most important presidential primary states.