California Gov. Gavin Newsom flexed his muscle with the overwhelming passage of his state's redistricting measure and Republicans have begun to take notice.
One Republican strategist told Politico that Newsom's success in getting Proposition 50 approved, which will allow California to redraw its maps to be more favorable to Democrats, makes him "a top rival of [President] Donald Trump."
The strategist said Newsom is now a "Tier 1 Democrat."
Newsom raised $100 million in 10 weeks to fund support for the proposition as a counter to Republicans redrawing their congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Proposition 50 passed 64%-36% with the outcome never in doubt, and Newsom now cements himself as an early front-runner in the 2028 presidential campaign.
"I believe that Gavin Newsom is definitely using this opportunity to set himself up for a presidential race," former Rep. Mimi Walters, R-Calif., said to Politico.
"To his credit, he brought in over 100,000 new donors that now he can put in his database to use to go out and fundraise," Walters added.
"It's giving him a higher profile, just given the nature of having a special election and the redistricting mid-decade, which is unheard of, clearly has an impact," Walters continued.
Other Republicans were dismissive of Newsom's political stature.
"He's a Democratic governor in a very Democratic state," Brent Littlefield, a Republican consultant, said. "So, it's not like he can claim to be a political genius."
Republicans said voters would not be impressed with Newsom's record as governor.
"It was a big win for Newsom that improves his standing in what will surely be a hotly contested Democratic primary in 2028, but it's less clear how it positions him in a general election battle to win over swing voters," Bruce Mehlman, a Republican strategist, said to Politico.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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