Our new book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. We are already in the very early stages of the 2028 campaign.
Alex Thompson and Holly Otterbein at Axios:
Gavin Newsom's Democratic rivals are plotting how to take down the early 2028 frontrunner, with a heavy emphasis on how unpopular his left-leaning views are outside deep-blue California.
Driving the news: Our conversations with more than 20 Democratic operatives, including several working for 2028 hopefuls, reveal that they see the California governor as the guy to beat — and a guy with a lot of personal baggage that's exploitable for a presidential primary.
The consensus themes to expect in attacks on Newsom:The "too liberal, coastal elite" argument. If primary voters prioritize electability, Newsom — a former San Francisco mayor — could be seen as a risky choice, the operatives say.
Newsom has defended providing health care for undocumented immigrants because he supports universal health care — a mainstream position in the 2020 Democratic primary some Democrats have since abandoned.
Affordability, housing and homelessness remain big problems in California, despite Newsom initiatives as mayor and governor.
The wealthy Getty family has been a key backer of Newsom's political and business career, leading some of his foes in California to call him a slick "Davos Democrat."
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Zoom in: Some of Newsom's potential rivals and other Democratic leaders have begun going public with attacks.California Rep. Ro Khanna, referring to Newsom's former chief of staff recently being charged with corruption, said the aide's indictment is a "toxic stain" on the state.
