Newsom Tours South Carolina, Key to 2028 Dem Nomination

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) will start his two-day tour of rural South Carolina on Tuesday, making stops in some of the state’s reddest counties that have been economically and environmentally devastated over the years.

South Carolina Democratic Party Chairwoman Christale Spain said that Newsom’s visit to the Pee Dee, Midlands, and Upstate regions was rooted in showing rural residents that they had not been forgotten despite “decades of Republican control” that “hollowed” out the areas. The two-day event, dubbed by state Democrats as “On the Road With Governor Newsom,” will have the governor meeting with people in coffee shops, community centers, and cafes.

Seven of the eight counties Newsom is scheduled to visit went for President Donald Trump in November, including two where he got 75% of the vote.

Newsom is an early front-runner for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, and his trip is an indicator he may be laying the groundwork for a presidential run.

“This trip is exactly what you’d expect from someone who wants to keep the 2028 lane open,” Ryan Waite, vice president of public affairs at Think Big consulting firm, told the Washington Examiner. “It’s retail politics in a place Democrats rarely prioritize, and the message is clear: I’m not writing off anyone. It’s smart staging. South Carolina has symbolic weight after its role in 2020, and rural outreach is a box any national contender has to check these days, especially if they want to contrast themselves with a more coastal, urban image.”

South Carolina played a crucial role in 2020, resuscitating then-candidate Joe Biden’s lagging campaign after disappointing results in Iowa and New Hampshire. With the endorsement of Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), Biden won the state, the first with a large black electorate, a crucial voting bloc for Democrats. In 2024, the state became the Democratic Party’s first binding Democratic primary of the cycle.

Waite added that the trip is a good idea from a “purely strategic point.”

“It costs him nothing in California, builds national headlines, and earns goodwill with the DNC and other state parties that value a 50-state approach,” he said. “Even if he doesn’t end up running, it continues to raise his profile as a top surrogate and party leader.”

Rural communities often feel neglected, especially by politicians who concentrate on urban areas. For Newsom, or any candidate, engaging with rural residents helps project an image of inclusivity and concern for all constituents.

Matthew Klink, a partner at California Strategies, told the Washington Examiner it seemed a little hypocritical that Newsom was headed to the opposite coast to help out rural farmers at a time when he has been accused of ignoring them in his own state.

“It’s interesting that Christale Spain, chair of the state Democrat Party, says that Gavin Newsom is going to focus on rural South Carolina voters,” Klink said. “It’s worth noting that he hasn’t focused on California’s rural voters during his tenure as governor, which is a notably red part of the state. These working-class voters have abandoned the Democratic Party in droves. So, if Governor Newsom is going to ‘sell’ South Carolina voters on the idea that he would do for them what he did for California rural voters, it’s an empty promise.”

Brad Chase, founder of Chase Global, which specializes in crisis management and public affairs, warned that Newsom should be cognizant about how much time he spends in other states.

“Newsom’s press shop is certain to say he’s focused solely on his current job, but it’s clear that his top priority is the 2028 presidential election,” Chase told the Washington Examiner. “Many Democrats surely will appreciate his recent success — at least relative to the failing Democratic national leadership — in the public fight against Trump. They’ll cheer him stepping into the leadership vacuum left by the Democratic gerontocracy.

“L.A. Mayor Bass’s precipitous fall shows that taking your eye off the ball at home can create problems, but Newsom likely doesn’t care if his approval ratings drop since California is locked up on the electoral map. The bigger potential downside is that voters could tire of him by the time the presidential primaries roll around. Like [Florida Gov. Ron] DeSantis, his moment can come and go before it really counts.”

Newsom is among the top Democratic Party candidates for president in 2028, according to a June Emerson College Polling survey, which asked more than 400 Democratic primary voters nationwide about their choice for a 2028 candidate.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg led with 16%, followed by former Vice President Kamala Harris at 13%. Newsom came in third at 12%, while Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) tied for fourth with 7%.

Newsom isn’t the only California lawmaker heading to the Palmetto State. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) is also scheduled to travel there July 19-20 with the advocacy organization Protect Our Care, which mobilizes voters in swing House districts against the Republican cuts to Medicaid in the recently passed budget bill.