The California governor and likely 2028 presidential contender called on Democrats to keep turning out for critical races still on the horizon.
Gavin Newsom, rallying Democrats in deep-red Texas on Saturday, urged the party base to set its sights on returning Democrats to power in 2026 and 2028, as he returned to ground zero of the national gerrymandering wars.
The California governor and likely 2028 presidential contender spent little time in the hourlong event in Houston soaking in his recent redistricting win, instead railing against President Donald Trump and his administration for “rewriting history” while calling on Democrats to keep turning out for critical races still on the horizon.
“You didn’t just have your backs here, you had our backs in the state of California,” Newsom told the crowd. “We were looking for a fight, not only that we can win, but a fight worth fighting for. And that is why I’m here.”
Much of the event danced around Newsom’s highly speculated 2028 presidential run, with the governor pausing at one point in his speech as rally-goers shouted “2028.” The governor only chuckled at the calls.
But other Texas Democratic leaders who took the microphone before Newsom used their speeches to hail the California governor’s redistricting victory and nod to a potential 2028 run.
“I am here today because he is the future president of the United States of America,” said Rep. Al Green (D-Texas).
Newsom zeroed in on urging voters to maintain the party’s energy off of their key wins Tuesday and focus on regaining Democratic control through a string of congressional races in 2026.
“We cannot rest until we take it back,” Newsom said. “There is no more important race in our lifetime than the House of Representatives and taking back the House.”
The redistricting war in Texas is all but lost for Democrats, after Gov. Greg Abbott and state legislative Republicans redrew House seats to benefit their party at President Donald Trump’s behest. But Newsom’s travel there allowed him to remain in campaign mode after passing a gerrymander in California this week — highlighting national redistricting efforts and drawing attention in a state that, despite being solidly Republican, holds a deep trove of delegates in Democratic presidential primaries.
“He’s making the case that he is looking out for the interest of the broader Democratic Party, the national party, by passing the redistricting reform in California and countering the shenanigans in Texas,” Democratic strategist Steve Bennett, who worked on Bill Clinton’s presidential campaigns, said before the event. “Obviously, he’s preparing to be a national candidate, and this is a good way of doing it.”
“The future is something to manifest,” Newsom told the crowd during Saturday’s rally. “It’s decisions, not conditions, that will determine our fate in the future. That fact that you chose to be here is testament to that.”
The California governor’s appearance came as Democratic redistricting efforts accelerated across the country. Virginia Democrats are pushing to redraw House lines in their party’s favor, and Democrats in New York and Colorado have floated doing so. Newsom earlier this week called on all those states to take action, along with the states of two possible 2028 contenders, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Newsom has frequently turned to Texas as a foil, once excoriating Abbott in local newspaper ads and, more recently, lacing into him for assisting with Trump’s National Guard deployments to blue states.
Abbott is also set to appear in Houston on Sunday to make what his campaign team billed as a “special announcement,” which Houston Public Media suggested could be the launch of his campaign for a fourth term as governor.
Dave Carney, a longtime top strategist for Abbott and former Energy Secretary Rick Perry, welcomed Newsom to Harris County as a tourist, downplaying his achievements and saying, “I hope he brings a big entourage and they spend a lot of money.”
“We don’t care what California does. I think it will be nonevent, and no one cares,” Carney said in an interview. “Saturdays are for college football.”
But other Republicans saw opportunity in a visit from the leader of California, a symbol of deep liberalism in the national imagination.
“Frankly, the more often he comes in, the better,” said Joel Loua, a Texas GOP strategist. “Texas Democrats are so demoralized that they need a California greasy-hair car salesman to give them a pep-talk, and we’ll just use the opportunity to raise money and get Texas Republicans more motivated than they already are.”
Though the event may have produced footage of Newsom alongside Texas Democrats, his association with the state’s minority party has been well-established. In August, he hosted state legislative Democrats from Texas who were breaking quorum in an unsuccessful bid to stop the state’s Republican-slanted gerrymander.
And even if Texas Republicans fundraise off the appearance, their Democratic opponents can, too.
“Most voters probably won’t notice [the event]. We’re still a year out from elections,” said Bennett. But he added: “if it excites the base and if it helps in fundraising, that’s probably to their benefit.”