California Gov. Gavin Newsom has identified the one Democrat whose decision could keep him out of the 2028 presidential contest: former Vice President Kamala Harris. During an informal fly-fishing conversation with CNN’s Jake Tapper in Montana on Monday, Newsom said he would not seek the Democratic nomination if Harris chose to run. He also stressed that his immediate priority is the 2026 midterm elections and said he would wait until after those races before deciding whether to pursue the White House. “I wouldn’t run if she ran,” Newsom told Tapper. The comments come as Newsom is increasingly viewed as a possible 2028 contender and make clear that Harris’ plans will be central to his own decision. Harris has continued to keep open the possibility of another presidential campaign. On September 10, she told former U.S. women’s national soccer team star Megan Rapinoe on the podcast What Are You Like? that she had “not decided” whether to run in 2028. Responding to a question about another bid, Harris said, “From my perspective, ’28 doesn’t matter if we don’t win ’26.”
The midterms come before 2028 ambitions
Harris went on to underline the importance of the midterm elections, repeating that “midterms, midterms, midterms” were dominating her “thoughts, my mind and my work.” Her position and Newsom’s have created an unusual dynamic in the Democratic Party: two of its most prominent potential 2028 candidates are waiting to see what happens in the 2026 elections. Newsom has previously acknowledged that a presidential campaign is a serious possibility. In an October 2025 interview with CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell, he said he would be “lying” if he claimed he had never considered running for president in 2028.
Buttigieg and Ocasio-Cortez keep their options open
Other leading Democrats have also offered stronger hints about how seriously they are weighing a 2028 campaign. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in August that he was “more inclined than not” to run, while acknowledging that much about the political landscape could change before then. Buttigieg added that becoming a parent had influenced the way he evaluates the demands of a national campaign. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has likewise declined to close the door on a presidential bid, although she has consistently said her focus remains on the 2026 midterms.
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Ocasio-Cortez considers her next political move
In August, Ocasio-Cortez told ABC’s Jonathan Karl that she had not “ruled out the possibility” of running for president, while reiterating that the midterms were her immediate priority. She has also left open the prospect of challenging Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer for his New York Senate seat in 2028. As she weighs those paths, her political operation has begun to shift. Axios reported in August that Ocasio-Cortez was reorganizing her team ahead of a decision on whether to pursue a White House campaign or seek a Senate seat.
Newsom says Harris would take precedence in 2028
Polling has already placed Harris and Newsom among the Democrats being considered for the 2028 presidential race. A May 2026 Lake Research Partners survey of 800 likely Democratic primary voters nationwide put the two at the top of a ranked-choice test featuring 13 potential candidates, including Buttigieg and Ocasio-Cortez. The Democratic field remains wide open, with possible contenders taking different approaches to when—and whether—to announce their plans. Newsom, however, has now outlined one firm condition: if Harris enters the race, he will not.
