California Heavyweights Newsom and Harris Could Clash in 2028 White House Race

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris have long maintained a relationship that mixes cooperation, shared political infrastructure and quiet rivalry. Both are national figures with overlapping networks of advisers, consultants and donors, and both have been careful to avoid direct competition — until now.

Different Paths, Shared Ambitions

Their careers repeatedly sidestepped one another: Newsom was San Francisco's mayor while Harris served as a city district attorney; he was lieutenant governor while she was attorney general; and by the time Newsom became governor in 2018, Harris was serving in the U.S. Senate and later became vice president in 2021.

Harris was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024 after President Biden stepped aside, while Newsom has long signaled presidential ambitions of his own. As the 2028 campaign approaches, both are watching one another closely — and a primary or general-election matchup between two of California's most prominent Democrats is no longer fanciful.

Signals From Both Camps

Newsom has told allies he is weighing a 2028 bid but has pledged not to make a formal announcement until he leaves the governor's office in January 2027. Harris has been noncommittal publicly, telling The New York Times that the race is still "three years from now," but she has taken actions commonly associated with prospective candidates.

• Harris's aides launched a political action committee, Fight for the People.
• She reportedly paid the Democratic National Committee roughly $7 million for her email list, a move many operatives view as infrastructure-building for a potential campaign.
• She has made dozens of calls to newly elected officials — including Zohran Mamdani, Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill — signaling active outreach and relationship maintenance.

Support, Competition and Political Calculations

Allies of Newsom argue Harris is unlikely to run again, pointing to her memoir 107 Days, which critics say ruffled party feathers by criticizing other Democrats. Still, supporters of Harris say she has every right to consider another run and that the DNC list purchase and PAC activity indicate seriousness.

Should both enter the 2028 field, many of the advisers, operatives and donors who have ties to both would face wrenching loyalty decisions. Some are already quietly weighing their options.

Public Tensions and Private History

Tensions between the two have occasionally spilled into public view. In 107 Days, Harris recounts calling Newsom after President Biden dropped out of the 2024 race; she writes that he missed the call and texted, "Hiking. Will call back." Newsom publicly endorsed her a few hours later but has said he did not read the book and was surprised by the anecdote. He later joked about the exchange on a livestream, underscoring the blend of personal familiarity and political friction between them.

“You know that expression, ‘Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little?’ I think there’s a little bit of truth when it comes to them,” said Elizabeth Ashford, who served as Harris’s chief of staff when Harris was California attorney general.

What Voters Think

A UC Berkeley/Los Angeles Times poll from August found about 45% of California registered voters were very or somewhat enthusiastic about Newsom running for president in 2028, compared with 36% for Harris. Strategists on both sides view California as an important early geographic and narrative battleground should both pursue the nomination.

Whether they ultimately face off depends on decisions still to come. For now, both are positioning themselves and testing the waters — and the state that produced both leaders could play a pivotal role in shaping a 2028 contest.