California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), one of President Biden’s ardent supporters, has emerged as a leading public voice in trying to calm Democratic fears about the incumbent.
Newsom was at last month’s debate and was quick to defend Biden after he gave a widely criticized performance against former President Trump. Since then, Newsom has visited the White House with other Democratic governors amid concerns about the president’s health and crisscrossed key battleground states in an attempt to shore up support for him.
His effort comes as some party members are calling for Biden to step aside to make room for a replacement — with Newsom himself often touted as a leading candidate.
“I think the conventional wisdom here is that he or his team had been preparing for this moment for some time so that they would be available to intervene if that was the will of the Democratic national delegates in the event that Mr. Biden ended his presidency. prematurely,” said former California Rep. Mike Gatto (D).
But while there have been some growing calls from Democratic members of Congress for Biden to resign, the president has been adamant that he is not going anywhere. Newsom echoed that sentiment in a conference call with Biden’s campaign team, noting what he saw on the ground last week.
“Every event we held, every stop we made, we exceeded expectations in terms of the number of people who showed up,” Newsom told staff on Monday. “They are not giving in to cynicism. They are not giving in to fear. They are not giving in to anxiety. They are showing up because they care. They care about the work you are doing. They care about this president.”
Newsom also served as a prominent surrogate for Biden ahead of the debate. In September, the governor was present at the Republican Party’s primary debate hall outside Los Angeles, defending the president and his agenda.
A Newsom aide called the effort part of a two-year effort to defend Biden by visiting red states including Arkansas, Montana, Utah and Idaho. Newsom’s Campaign for Democracy PAC has raised more than $10 million for Biden’s campaign and has voted against Democrats across the country this cycle.
New Hampshire was Newsom’s last stop on his trip through the eastern part of the country. The California governor was in the electoral battlegrounds of Michigan and Pennsylvania last week. Whenever a politician visits New Hampshire, in particular, presidential primary speculation tends to follow, but Newsom’s visit comes at a time when polls show Democrats may be playing defense in the traditionally blue state. A Saint Anselm College poll released last week showed Trump leading Biden in support 44% to 42% in the Granite State.
And the concern among Democrats felt in New Hampshire extends to other blue-leaning states as well. Republicans say they are increasingly optimistic about their chances in Virginia and Minnesota, while the Democratic governors of Maine and New Mexico have expressed concerns to Biden about his ability to win those states in November.
“At a time when many in our party are worried, Gavin Newsom is prepared and on the ground,” said Joe Caiazzo, a New England-based Democratic strategist who met with Newsom in Boston this week as he campaigned for Biden.
Caiazzo referred to the California governor as “the cheerleader.”
“One of Gavin Newsom’s best traits is his ability to remind us of three things: our shared values and what we hope to achieve, the enormous success of the Biden administration, and what’s at stake in this election,” he said.
But Newsom has also faced criticism from other Democrats and Republicans, who are quick to point out what they see as his obvious presidential aspirations.
“I think he wakes up every morning and looks in the mirror and says, ‘How can I be president?’” said Steven Maviglio, a California-based Democratic strategist. “He has been running a parallel campaign for almost two years and is now presenting himself as a good Biden soldier while exposing himself to key blocs of the Democratic electorate.”
It would be very difficult for Newsom to lead the presidential ticket this cycle, given that Biden has said he will remain in office and Vice President Harris would be the heir apparent if he were to drop out. And if Harris took the top spot on the ticket, the chances of her choosing another Californian as her running mate would be low.
Biden allies are quick to point out that Newsom is not the only rising Democratic star supporting the president. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) was one of the public faces at Biden’s meeting with governors last week, while Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) was with Biden during his campaign stop in Pennsylvania in last week. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D), who also has her own PAC committed to electing federal Democrats, has been one of the most vocal supporters of Biden’s swing state. Many of these governors are also seen as preparing for 2028.
“They’re all playing a game of musical chairs,” said John Morgan, a Democratic donor based in Florida. “They’re all walking around, Harris, [Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear]Whitmer, Newsom, [Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker]. They are walking and when the music stops, they will have to find a place and one by one they will be eliminated.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
