California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is once again trying to thread a political needle, only this time, he may be tying himself in knots.
Asked directly this week whether he would back a candidate in the state’s gubernatorial race, the outgoing governor, who is widely expected to run for president in 2028, sidestepped with a carefully worded but muddled response: “I’m supporting a Democrat in the runoff and look forward to the voters making that decision very shortly … There are a lot of outstanding candidates with extraordinary records. I could name seven of them, although I think there were nine.”
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The remark raises more questions than it answers. By broadly praising nearly the entire field, Newsom appears intent on avoiding alienating any faction—but risks projecting reluctance, or even an inability, to shape the race he will leave behind.
He has increasingly leaned on vague, highly calibrated language when pressed on politically sensitive issues, often producing viral moments that draw scrutiny over what he meant versus what he actually said.
The hesitation to endorse in the governor’s race is strategic. Taking sides could fracture California Democrats ahead of the June 2 primary and tether Newsom to a possibly losing candidate as he eyes a national future. But the downside is growing: moments such as the one in Central California this week risk making him appear evasive at a time when party insiders are quietly urging him to bring clarity, not confusion, to the race.
Former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s abrupt exit from the gubernatorial contest two weeks ago, following allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, has only deepened the uncertainty in an already crowded and volatile Democratic field. Party insiders have been pressing Newsom to step in — either to consolidate support behind a credible contender or at least impose some order. But even a subtle intervention carries risk. If his preferred candidate loses, Newsom could emerge politically weakened, possibly undercutting his standing ahead of a 2028 presidential bid.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, the race’s overall front-runner, dismissed the Democratic contenders seeking Newsom’s seal of approval as misguided and a waste of time.
“Well, it looks as if the Democrat candidates for governor all made fools of themselves for no reason this week,” he told the Washington Examiner. “In Wednesday’s debate, hoping to suck up to Newsom enough to get his endorsement, they gave him A or B grades for homelessness even though any normal sentient being would give his obviously disastrous record an F. I suppose we can’t be too harsh on Newsom, though. After all, he’s in the same dilemma as the rest of California: How can you possibly choose between candidates who are either the same old career politicians, even more extreme far left ideologues than we have now, or both?”
President Donald Trump, unlike Newsom, has publicly weighed in, endorsing Hilton over Republican candidate Chad Bianco. He posted on social media that he had known the London-born-and-raised Hilton for years and called the conservative commentator “a truly fine man” who could turn around a state beset with notoriously high taxes. California, Trump wrote, “has gone to hell.”
Jeff Burton, co-founding partner at Maven Advocacy, said going forward, Newsom should stick to staying on the sidelines.
“Governor Newsom has spent the last 18 months focused on his presidential ambitions, not managing the state’s political bench,” the GOP strategist told the Washington Examiner. “There’s no reason to think he’s going to suddenly change course now. The reality is donors and interest groups are split, and the first rule of politics is don’t make unnecessary enemies. There’s very little upside for Newsom in wading into the crowded primary, especially with the national picture still shifting and Kamala Harris re-entering the mix.”
But political strategist Jay Satterfield, a principal at North Shore Strategies, argued that Newsom’s all-positive posture toward the field sends the wrong signal, pointing to past instances where the governor has either taken no position or shifted positions.
“Look, where I come from, folks just want leaders who say what they mean and stick to it,” he told the Washington Examiner. “As a Democrat, I believe in being honest with people, and you can’t be an honest broker in the party while talking about single-payer healthcare one day and then backing off when it gets tough or heck, even calling yourself a climate leader while both sides are wondering where you actually stand on oil and gas and people didn’t forget COVID, regular folks were following the rules while politicians were out living by a different set, that’s the kind of thing that sticks.”
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Satterfield said the Democratic Party needs leaders they can trust, “not ones who go back and forth depending on who’s in front of them.”
“People want somebody real, somebody steady, and somebody who means what they say, not someone who is going to stick their foot in their mouth every other sentence,” he said. “That’s why Gavin Newsom is the last person we need to represent the Democratic Party going into the 2028 presidential cycle.”
