But if the election buoyed national Democrats, party strategists around the country saw it, too, as lifting Newsom’s presidential prospects, rocket fuel for the California governor in a 2028 primary.
“Leaders are rewarded when they do the right thing,” said Neera Tanden, a longtime top policy adviser to Democratic presidents. “People are going to remember he stood up in this moment.”
It wasn’t a fight Newsom started, but it was almost tailor-made for him to join, and ultimately lead, given the upsides for both the Democratic Party and his own ambitions. The campaign handed Newsom the opportunity to counter Trump and national Republicans with California’s Democratic might, building on years of practice.
A campaign that once looked like like a longshot ended in an unambiguous victory — and Newsom was its star player, cementing his reputation as the kind of anti-Trump combatant Democrats say they are desperate for. Soon after the win he was positioning himself as a national pacesetter by exhorting fellow Democrats to follow his lead.
“Any person who pays attention to politics is assuming that this is the precursor to something else,” said former South
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