Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), viewed by many in his party as a likely 2028 presidential contender, was hit on Wednesday with data revealing the depth of his state’s economic challenges. 

While stopping short of saying California is in recession, because “there is no firm definition” of the term, the UCLA Anderson Forecast concluded in a new analysis that “the data now indicate slow to negative economic growth and a further decline in jobs” this year.