Florence, S.C.In the latest indication that the Democrat is considering a 2028 presidential bid, California Governor commenced a two-day tour of South Carolina on Tuesday, meeting voters in rural areas and some GOP strongholds in the early-voting state.
Newsom is scheduled to visit eight locations throughout the state on Tuesday and Wednesday, including churches, small businesses, and coffee shops, according to state Democratic Party officials.
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Newsom shook hands with almost all of the approximately 100 people in attendance at the first of those, a coffee shop in Florence, and centered his remarks on the necessity of intentionally engaging in dialogue with individuals who hold different opinions in order to heal the nation’s differences.
“I’m here because I believe it’s crucial for Democrats that we spend time in areas of our states and our nation that, to be honest, we haven’t spent enough time in,” Newsom stated.
Newsom’s trajectory across some of the state’s most conservative areas and the time he has spent in a state that is crucial in selecting his party’s presidential nominees indicate that the term-limited governor is hoping to shed his liberal image from San Francisco, get out ahead of what is expected to be a crowded 2028 field, and gain support from the diverse Democratic electorate, whose support has long been seen as crucial for their party’s nominee.
On Tuesday, Newsom will begin in the northeast region of South Carolina. On Wednesday, he will head into the conservative Upstate, which is one of the most Republican-leaning regions of the state. That day, he begins with a gathering in Seneca, a little town that is home to four-term Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. President Donald Trump received almost 75% of the votes cast in the Oconee County area during the general election last year.
Venturing into that area is consistent with the persona that Newsom has been developing in preparation for a potential 2028 presidential campaign.
Increasingly willing to depart from some of the ideas that have defined his brand and his largely Democratic state, Newsom has on his podcast, even startling some members of his own party by agreeing with podcast guests on subjects such as . Newsom also remained mute when a lifelong Trump supporter claimed that Trump defeated Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, calling the disintegration of police forces “madness.”
Potential contenders for the party’s next presidential slate have already begun traveling to South Carolina, despite the fact that the final slate won’t be decided for several months. It is anticipated that the state will continue to play a crucial role.
The state led off Democrats’ 2024 calendar at Biden’s insistence, whose 2020 campaign was saved by his decisive victory in the South Carolina primary. Christale Spain, the party chair, has stated that she will re-argument to maintain the state’s top spot in the upcoming cycle. Being the first southern state to host a primary for a long time, South Carolina has a special place in the Democratic nomination process because of its diversified electorate, especially the large number of Black voters.
In May, South Carolina Democrats hosted two governors, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Wes Moore of Maryland, who introduced themselves in front of the party faithful.
Both men also spoke to the crowd at Rep. Jim Clyburn’s, a legendary evening of cold beverages, sizzling fried fish, and boisterous political stumping that has seen the participation of numerous Democratic presidential candidates over the years.
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