Newsom says he won't run for president in 2028 if Harris does

California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a forthcoming CNN interview that he will not run for president in 2028 if Kamala Harris enters the race. Both politicians hail from California and are widely regarded as top establishment frontrunners for the next Democratic presidential primary.

Newsom, who is term-limited as governor this year, has increasingly cast himself as a leading foil to Donald Trump, fueling speculation that he is positioning for a 2028 bid. But in his conversation with CNN anchor Jake Tapper, Newsom said running against Harris would waste voters' time and hand their political opponents a "gift from God."

"I wouldn't do that to her," Newsom said, adding that he wouldn't waste everybody's time given how much their bases of support overlap.

Newsom revealed he had considered running in 2024 but felt he "wasn't ready," and said he is still weighing whether he will be prepared for the upcoming primary. He said any candidate must honestly assess whether they represent the moment or would simply be wasting people's time.

Newsom made the remarks to Tapper while fly fishing on Montana's Bitterroot River, near a ranch owned by his in-laws.

His apparent reluctance to challenge Harris sits in tension with his sustained effort to raise his national profile. Newsom has taken an increasingly combative tone toward Trump on social media, cultivated political influencers to amplify his message, and used a California redistricting ballot initiative to help lead a national pushback against Trump's efforts to gerrymander districts in conservative-led states ahead of the midterms.

Harris has kept a relatively low profile since her defeat to Trump in 2024, a race complicated by Joe Biden's late withdrawal amid concerns over his cognitive fitness. She said in July she has not yet decided whether she will run again, but remains a household name and a serious potential contender for the Democratic nomination.