California Governor Gavin Newsom is tapping into the heart of Hollywood, giving him a clear edge in the early fight for the city’s deep‑pocket donors as the 2028 Democratic race looms.
“He’s a fighter, that’s what we need!” a top‑tier producer told Deadline. “I just wish more Democrats, like [Chuck] Schumer and the leadership (in Congress), would emulate him, not take any s— from Trump.”
Newsom has earned praise on the left for his sharper, more confrontational stance toward President Donald Trump. He’s taken the billionaire’s punch to the chin online, while also embracing newer media like podcasts and Substack. In progressive circles, his advocacy for Proposition 50— an amendment that re‑draws congressional districts in California to level the playing field against a Republican‑friendly Texas—has won him extra love.
“Donald Trump poked the bear. And the bear roared back,” Newsom said after the measure passed.
An agency executive added, “I’ll admit, I didn’t see it in him, and I’ve met him a number of times, but Newsom has really impressed me the way he’s taken Trump on, the jabs,” to Deadline.
In October, the two‑term governor floated the idea of a 2024 presidential run, a prospect that’s been fueled by sharp wins like the No Kings events and the Jimmy Kimmel effect, which created a surge of enthusiasm among Los Angeles donors. “Big checks are being written,” James Costos, former Obama U.S. Ambassador to Spain and HBO executive, told Deadline. “It was a slow build early on as we recovered from the loss last November, but momentum is now building. No Kings events, legal victories, the Kimmel effect, growing resistance— all are clear ways to push back against the administration’s overreach and organize for 2026 and 2028.”
Another “big donor producer” told Deadline that “anyone who really matters” will want to jump aboard the Newsom train once it starts moving.
While the 2028 field is still very early, industry watchers note that it could become crowded with names like Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez, and even 2024 nominee Kamala Harris, who might also consider stepping in. Harris’s defeat in 2024— after serving as a U.S. senator from California before becoming vice president—could make Democratic primary voters cautious about backing a candidate from a solidly blue state.
California remains the sole blue state to have not elected a Republican to the White House since George H. W. Bush in 1988.
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for a comment.
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