General explainer

Is Gavin Newsom running for president in 2028?

Gavin Newsom is widely considered a likely 2028 Democratic candidate. He has not formally declared but appears in all eleven mid-2026 national Democratic primary surveys and places second in every one of them, with results ranging from 12 to 26 percent -- the most consistent second-place finish in the Democratic field. He leads 2028 Democratic prediction markets as the most likely Democratic nominee and is constitutionally eligible.

Updated August 16, 2026

Gavin Newsom, the term-limited governor of California, appears in all eleven mid-2026 national Democratic primary surveys and places second in every one -- behind Kamala Harris in nine surveys and behind Pete Buttigieg in two. His results range from 12 to 26 percent, newest first: McLaughlin and Associates (June 17-23, 2026, 464 LV) 16 percent; Echelon Insights (June 11-14, 2026, 515 LV) 14 percent; Noble Predictive Insights (June 1-4, 2026, 1,013 RV) 14 percent; Focaldata (May 29-June 1, 2026, 685 RV) 17 percent; Harvard-Harris (May 29-31, 2026, 1,725 RV) 26 percent; I&I/TIPP (May 26-28, 2026, 593 RV) 14 percent; Big Data Poll (May 24-27, 2026, 1,378 LV) 17 percent; Emerson College (May 24-25, 2026, 432 LV) 15.9 percent; Rasmussen Reports (May 18-20, 2026, 433 LV) 12 percent; Overton Insights (May 16-20, 2026, 661 LV) 13 percent; Echelon Insights (May 14-18, 2026, 501 LV) 17 percent. He trails Harris in nine surveys; in the two where he places second behind Buttigieg (Emerson College May 24-25 and Overton Insights May 16-20), Harris placed fourth or fifth. He has not filed with the Federal Election Commission or formally announced a campaign, but has built an unmistakably national profile over the last two years, jousting with the Trump administration on national television, launching a podcast, and positioning himself as a leading Democratic voice. He leads 2028 Democratic prediction markets as the most likely Democratic nominee.

Newsom has repeatedly said he will make a serious decision about a 2028 run after the November 2026 midterms. In June 2026 he disclosed that he and his wife are under federal investigation, calling it political retaliation for his weighing a presidential bid - a significant new variable in his 2028 calculus. No formal charges have been announced as of mid-2026.

A notable structural constraint applies to the most prominent ticket pairings in the 2028 Democratic field. Both Newsom and Kamala Harris are California residents -- Ro Khanna, a third California-based Democratic possible candidate, is also a California resident. Under the 12th Amendment, electors may not cast both their presidential and vice-presidential votes for candidates from their own state. A Newsom-Harris or Harris-Newsom ticket would put California's 54 electoral votes (Safe D, voted Democratic in 2016, 2020, and 2024) at risk, because California's 54 electors could vote for only one of the two. The established precedent is Dick Cheney in 2000, who changed his legal residence from Texas to Wyoming before Election Day so the Republican ticket would not forfeit Texas's 32 electoral votes under the same rule. Either Newsom or Harris would need to change their legal state of residence before Election Day 2028 for a joint ticket to capture all 54 California electoral votes.

He is constitutionally eligible. Newsom is a natural-born U.S. citizen, is 58 years old as of mid-2026 (well above the 35-year minimum), and has been a U.S. resident his entire life. His term as California governor ends in January 2027 under state term limits, which would free him to run full-time.

The 2028 Democratic field also includes Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Josh Shapiro, among others. Newsom leads prediction markets as the most likely Democratic nominee, but the race is far from settled -- no major candidate has declared, and the field is expected to take shape through 2026 and 2027.

Related questions

Has Gavin Newsom said he is running for president in 2028?

He has not formally declared. He has said he will decide seriously after the November 2026 midterms. He has built a national profile consistent with a 2028 bid, but has not filed with the FEC or announced a campaign.

Is Gavin Newsom eligible to run for president?

Yes. He is a natural-born U.S. citizen, is 58 years old as of mid-2026, and meets all three constitutional requirements: natural-born citizenship, age 35 or older, and 14 years of U.S. residency.

What is Gavin Newsom's status in the 2028 race?

He is tracked as a likely candidate -- the highest confidence level short of a formal declaration. He appears in all eleven mid-2026 national Democratic primary surveys, placing second in every one with results from 12 to 26 percent. He also leads 2028 Democratic prediction markets as the most likely Democratic nominee.

When will Gavin Newsom decide on 2028?

He has said he will make a serious decision after the 2026 midterms. His California governorship ends in January 2027 under term limits, clearing him to campaign full-time if he chooses to run.

Could Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris be on the same ticket?

Only if one of them changes legal residence first. Both are California residents, and the 12th Amendment prevents electors from voting for a president and vice president from their own state. A Newsom-Harris or Harris-Newsom ticket would put California's 54 electoral votes at risk unless one candidate relocated before Election Day 2028. The 2000 precedent is Dick Cheney, who changed his legal residence from Texas to Wyoming before Election Day to avoid forfeiting Texas's electoral votes under the same rule.

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Related explainers

Who can run for president of the United States?

To be eligible, a person must be a natural-born U.S. citizen, at least 35 years old, and have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years.

When do 2028 presidential campaigns start?

The 2028 presidential campaign effectively starts after the November 2026 midterms, with formal announcements expected through 2027 - historically 12 to 18 months before the first primaries in early 2028. There is no legal start date, and as of July 2026 no major candidate has formally declared.

Is Kamala Harris running for president in 2028?

Kamala Harris has publicly said she is thinking about a 2028 run. She appears in all eleven mid-2026 national Democratic primary surveys and leads nine of them, with results ranging from 9 to 44 percent -- the widest first-place footprint in the Democratic field. She has not formally declared or filed with the FEC as of mid-2026, and is constitutionally eligible.

See the live 2028 candidate tracker All 2028 election questions Are they running? -- all 2028 candidates