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Gavin Newsom, a prominent Democratic figure, has revealed that he plans to decide on whether to run for president in 2028 after the 2026 congressional elections are over.

"Yeah, I would be lying if I denied it," the governor stated when asked about seriously considering a campaign for president after the 2026 elections. "I'd just be lying. And I can't do that."

Newsom's current term as governor ends in early 2027, and term limits prevent another run. But, he noted that any choice is still years away.

"It's up to destiny," he said.

Increased Visibility as a Political Adversary

He has emerged as a high-profile opponent of the current federal leadership, using his digital presence and championing a ballot measure that would increase Democratic House seats in response to GOP gerrymandering. This action has made him a target from political opponents.

Clash on Transportation

The former president's secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, claimed that the governor is indifferent about the state's residents in a weekend segment on Fox News. Duffy disclosed intentions to withhold taxpayer dollars from the state and warned revoking the state's ability to grant trucking licenses.

"I plan to withdraw $160m from the state," Duffy said, in the wake of a this week's deadly accident in California involving an undocumented trucker that caused fatalities and casualties.

The governor's team pointed out that the U.S. government had approved the driver's employment multiple times, which allowed him to obtain a commercial driver's license under national regulations.

The transportation secretary had earlier indicated he was withholding additional funds from the state for ignoring linguistic standards for CDL holders.

Strong Response from the Team

"Ex-reality TV personality, now transportation chief, still doesn't understand U.S. regulations," his administration responded in a previous release addressing the secretary's comments. "Meanwhile, unlike this clown, we focus on reality: California CDL holders had a fatal crash rate much lower than the U.S. average. Texas – the single state with additional licensed drivers – has a rate almost 50% higher than the state. Data speaks for itself. This administration is dishonest."

Voter Sentiment and Campaign Considerations

A recent study showed that nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters and a significant portion of the electorate said that Newsom must consider running for president in 2028. Since Trump took office, his approval ratings has increased to an mean of about one-third from previous levels, while his negative ratings has decreased from an typical level of more than 40% to 38.4%.

Some time ago, Newsom remarked while visiting several battleground states that he had "uncertainty" about his intentions for 2028.

He also referenced his personal struggles, including being diagnosed with dyslexia at the early childhood.

"The idea that a guy who got 960 on his SAT, who still struggles to read scripts, who was always in the back of the classroom – that such a possibility is discussed is, in and of itself, remarkable," he stated. "It's anyone's guess? I'm looking forward to who steps forward in 2028 and who rises to the occasion. And that is the issue for the U.S. citizens."