California made Gavin Newsom famous. Will it drag down his 2028 presidential ambitions?

(AP) — Gavin Newsom’s secret is no secret here in South Carolina. They were selling “Gavin 2028” buttons outside his events this past week as he trekked across the state that will hold Democrats’ first presidential primary. His allies, the state party chair, college presidents and pro-Newsom activists all openly hinted at his national aspirations.

And people close to him privately referred to a White House campaign as “the next thing.” Still, California’s Democratic governor has barely begun to address what may be his biggest political liability as he stakes a claim as an early front-runner in the Democratic Party’s 2028 shadow primary. That liability, South Carolina voters acknowledged this past week, is something he cannot change — his home state, California, is a symbol of modern-day liberalism that people across the political spectrum love to hate. Vera DeVito, a 78-year-old Democrat who packed into one of Newsom’s eight public events across South Carolina, said she didn’t know much about him or his policies — except that he’s from the Golden State.

On that basis alone, she suggested that supporting Newsom could be “risky.” “It’s going to be hard for him to appeal to the whole country,” she said in the town of Summerville. “Everybody thinks California is different — especially in the South. They’re not crazy about California.” Newsom’s home state stands in stark contrast with likely primary competitors who hail from battlegrounds like Michigan’s Pete Buttigieg and Pennsylvania’s Gov.

Should they run, which is likely, all could make credible claims that they are in a better position to win over the moderate and independent voters ultimately needed to win the presidency. Newsom’s team acknowledges that “California derangement syndrome” is real. In the almost half-century since former California Gov.

Ronald Reagan first won the presidency, the state has produced a long list of failed White House contenders, including Gov. Jerry Brown, businessman Tom Steyer, and most recently Vice President Kamala Harris. Despite such daunting history, Newsom is not hiding his interest in the presidency.

In an interview, he left open the possibility of announcing his decision before the end of the year. Honestly, I don’t know,” Newsom told The Associated Press. (AP) — Gavin Newsom's secret is no secret here in South Carolina.They were selling “Gavin 2028” buttons outside his events this past week as he trekked across the state that will hold Democrats' first presidential primary.