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California Gov. Gavin Newsom was declared the Democratic frontrunner to win back the White House in 2028 by a column in Politico on Saturday.
Politico senior political columnist Jonathan Martin wrote that Newsom has positioned himself over the past two years as the most viable Democratic contender for the presidency.
"No Democrat has had a better two years than Gavin Newsom and because of it, the California governor — a national figure since he was a 36-year-old boy mayor — has claimed a new title: front-runner," Martin wrote.
Political columnist Jonathan Martin argued that Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., has become the frontrunner for his party to win back the White House in 2028. (Brandon Bell/Getty)
Martin argued that Newsom combines traditional political experience with a strong grasp of social media and the ability to connect with younger voters, making him a promising candidate.
"By the old rules of Democratic nominations, Newsom fits neatly in the tradition of Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama: younger, outsider candidates who could credibly run fresh campaigns against the Washington status quo of both parties while claiming enough insider credentials to reassure party mandarins who care about such things," he wrote. "Newsom is also the best-positioned Democrat according to the new rules of politics — namely, whether you are or can become famous by breaking through on social media."
Martin also noted Newsom’s centrist and inclusive stance within the party as another advantage for the governor.
President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., have feuded throughout Trump’s second term. (AP Newsroom)
"’I want it to be the Manchin to Mamdani party. I want it to be inclusive,’ the governor told me last week," Martin said, adding "that Newsom isn’t fully comfortable in either faction" of his party.
Martin dubbed him the "early front-runner" because of Newsom's ability to read the moment and make his opposition to President Donald Trump a public focus.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a bill signing event related to redrawing the state’s congressional maps on Aug. 21, 2025, in Sacramento, Calif. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
"The newly-elected president, perhaps the most galvanizing political foil the country has ever known, picked a fight with Newsom over the Los Angeles wildfires shortly into 2025. And then Trump elevated the governor further by deploying the National Guard and active-duty Marines into the city by the summer," Martin wrote.
After those clashes with Trump, Newsom opposed the president in a redistricting fight that Martin credited for making the governor an early leader in the 2028 Democratic primary.
Martin also stated how Newsom’s willingness to mock Trump and his supporters online "has endeared him to the sprawling anti-Trump coalition, even the Newsom skeptics among them."
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Gabriel Hays is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.
