Gavin Newsom Rules Out 2028 Presidential Run If Kamala Harris Enters Race: 'I Wouldn't Waste Everybody's Time'
Gavin Newsom ruled out a 2028 presidential bid if Kamala Harris decided to run.
Sept. 18 2026, Updated 1:00 p.m. ET
California Governor Gavin Newsom says he will not run for president in 2028 if former Vice President Kamala Harris seeks the Democratic nomination.
Newsom made the remarks in a CNN interview with Jake Tapper while the two fly-fished on a Montana river.
Newsom: Challenge would waste voters' time
Gavin Newsom has been the Governor of California since 2019.
"I wouldn't run if she ran," Newsom said. "Of course not. Why would I? I wouldn't do that to her. I wouldn't waste everyone's time. Who needs that?"
Newsom and Harris, both longtime California Democrats, are viewed as two of the leading establishment figures considering a 2028 campaign. Newsom leaves office this year because of term limits and has been campaigning for Democrats in early primary states such as South Carolina.
Kamala Harris Has Not Announced a Decision
Kamala Harris served as the 49th Vice President of the United States.
Harris has not said whether she will run, but she has said she is considering another campaign after losing the 2024 general election to President Donald Trump.
Newsom said the two politicians share donors, friends and a similar voter base. A primary contest between them, he argued, would amount to "mutual assured destruction" and would be "a gift from God" for other Democrats and for Republicans.
Other Democrats frequently mentioned as possible 2028 contenders include former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
Democratic candidates are expected to begin making decisions after the November midterm elections.
Newsom Won't Put Voters in Bad Spot
Kamala Harris lost the general election in 2024 to Donald Trump.
"The Venn diagram on that is just pure crossover," Newsom said. "I wouldn't do that to people."
Tapper noted that Harris already has been nominated and lost a presidential race.
Newsom called that argument "pretty good" and "objectively true." Still, he claimed he would not put their overlapping supporters in that position.
Family Support Is Key for Newsom
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Gavin Newsom is term limited as Governor in California.
Newsom said any White House bid also would require support from his wife and four children. He said he considered running in 2024 but decided he was not ready and lacked a sufficient reason to enter the field.
A candidate, he said, must "meet the moment" and represent "the zeitgeist" rather than waste voters' time.
