Gavin Newsoms latest foray into presidential primary territory has exposed, yet again, how poorly the California governors brand of progressive elitism translates outside his coastal bubble.
According to RedState, Newsom traveled to Michigan ostensibly to raise money for Democratic candidates, but his visit looked far more like a soft launch for a 2028 presidential bidand an inept one at that. He arrived in a critical battleground state without bothering to coordinate with some of its most influential Democratic power brokers, a basic step for any serious national contender. The result, as Politico described it, was a mixed reception that underscored both his political miscalculations and the growing skepticism about California-style governance in the industrial Midwest.
One of Newsoms most glaring missteps was his failure to reach out to Rep. Debbie Dingell, the widow of legendary Michigan Democrat John Dingell and a central figure in the states political establishment. Dingell, a self-described car girl, has made no secret of her discomfort with Newsoms aggressive push to eliminate gas-powered vehicles, a policy that threatens the livelihoods of countless auto workers and their families. If Newsom understood the political and cultural weight of the auto industry in Michigan, he might have realized that his green absolutism is a liability in a state where cars are not just a product but a way of life.
Newsom did attempt to arrange a meeting with United Auto Workers (UAW) president Shawn Fain, Politico reported, but it didnt materialize, according to a source familiar. Fain himself is rumored to be eyeing a 2028 run, making him a potential rival rather than a natural ally. Snubbing or mishandling a relationship with the UAW president in Michigan is the kind of unforced error that seasoned national politicians avoid, yet Newsom walked straight into it.
His outreach to key Democratic constituencies was no better. Virgie Rollins, who chairs the Democratic National Committees Black Caucus and is a long-standing gatekeeper for Black Democratic activists, was openly dismissive of Newsoms effortor lack thereof. Every Democratic president that has won an election has been in my house, Rollins told Playbook. I did not hear from him. I did not get a call. For a governor already struggling to connect with working-class and minority voters outside California, that kind of public rebuke is politically damaging.
Newsoms trip also became entangled in controversy over a canceled fundraiser. Some Michigan politicos noted that he scrapped an event with state attorney general nominee Eli Savit that featured controversial host Kelly Neumann, according to an invite obtained by POLITICO and circulated to some Democrats who didnt realize the event was canceled when Newsoms team was made aware of Neumanns background. The governor had initially planned two competing fundraisers in Ann Arborone for Savit and another for state House Democratsonly to see the latter pull out after learning of the Savit event, citing a limited donor pool in the area. Neumann ultimately did not attend, and didnt respond to a request for comment, but the episode reinforced the impression of a disorganized, tone-deaf operation.
To his credit, Newsom did manage to meet with Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Elissa Slotkin, two prominent figures in Michigan Democratic politics. Yet even that effort carried its own awkward subtext, as Michigan Rep. Haley Stevenswho recently lost the Senate primary to El-Sayed and has a reputation for connecting with ordinary voterswas not even in the state, but in California. For a governor trying to prove he can appeal beyond the progressive activist class, surrounding himself with the partys left flank while missing opportunities with more relatable figures hardly strengthens his case.
The broader problem for Newsom is that his political persona, forged in the deep-blue, one-party environment of California, simply does not travel well. As Politico observed during his 2023 tour of the South, [L]ike a California cabernet left out on a humid afternoon, the Newsom brand may not travel all that well. Montgomery is a long way from Sacramento, and Newsoms political machine has only been tested in friendly territory, where his party enjoys a supermajority. Many Democrats will be glad to spend his money, but its far less clear that theyll want his advice or his obsessive focus on the culture-war contrasts between Democratic and Republican states. The piece added that [T]his strategy bets that the message of a California governor who made his fortune in fine wines and has deep ties to elite San Franciscans like Nancy Pelosi can resonate elsewhere.
Despite being passed over for the 2024 Democratic nominationafter his aunt-by-marriage, Nancy Pelosi, helped push Joe Biden off the ticketNewsom has tried to rebuild his national profile. In 2025, he gained attention by fighting Republican redistricting efforts and pushing through a constitutionally dubious referendum to further gerrymander Californias congressional map, a move that may please partisan operatives but raises serious concerns about democratic norms. Those maneuvers, combined with his relentless media presence, nudged him back into the 2028 conversation, but they also reinforced the perception of a politician more interested in raw power than in good governance.
This year, Newsom has used a book tour as a thin pretext to visit early primary states like Nevada, South Carolina, New Hampshire, and Georgia, where his attempts at folksy connection have repeatedly backfired. Addressing a Black audience in Georgia, he declared, I am like you. I'm a 960 SAT guy. I can't read. The remark, presumably intended as self-deprecating humor, instead came across as patronizing and racially tone-deaf, feeding the perception that progressive elites view minority voters as props in their own self-narratives rather than as equals.
Then came his stunt at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he arrived with Trump-signature kneepads, suggesting that world leaders are groveling to Donald Trump. The gag, clearly designed to score points with the globalist set and jab at his frenemy Vice President Kamala Harris, landed with a thud. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent delivered the sharper line, saying from the stage, Governor Newsom, who strikes me as Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken, may be the only Californian who knows less about economics than Kamala Harris. The comparison to the sociopathic yuppie from American Psycho and a plastic beach doll captured, in one brutal sentence, the sense that Newsom is more cosmetic than substantive.
As Californias problemsrampant homelessness, spiraling crime, high taxes, and a steady exodus of residents and businessesbecome more visible nationwide, Newsoms national ambitions are increasingly weighed against his record at home. Spencer Pratt noted that the crowd at the annual barbecue hosted by Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel, where Newsom appeared, was underwhelming. Gavin Newsom pulling a massive crowd of 17 septuagenarians in Michigan. Yeah he's DEFINITELY gonna be the nominee for President. LMAO, he quipped, a mocking snapshot of a candidate whose supposed star power seems confined to liberal media circles.
Predictably, Newsoms press operation insisted the event drew a large crowd and touted it as evidence of his strength as a candidate, the same team that routinely tries to minimize the massive turnouts at Donald Trump rallies. Yet polling tells a different story: Newsom currently sits in the middle of the pack in early primary states, and that is before the scrutiny of a full-blown campaign exposes more of his missteps and Californias failures. At this rate, he may find that his path to the 2028 nomination is even shorter and more humiliating than Kamala Harriss abortive 2020 run, a cautionary tale for Democrats who mistake media adulation for genuine national appeal.
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