California governor Gavin Newson has vowed that he will not try to challenge President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election, despite building a huge digital operation before the 2022 midterms.
According to a report by Politico, the Democrat governor said he would not challenge Biden for the Democrat nomination in 2024:
Newsom wants the word to go forth: He’s not going to challenge President Biden for the Democratic nomination in 2024.
“I’ve told everyone in the White House, from the chief of staff to the first lady,” he recounted to me as we sat on the top floor of California’s now-ceremonial governor’s mansion on election night.
Breitbart reports: Newsom referenced his “series of meetings” at the White House over the summer while Biden was away. At the time, speculations arose of Biden not running for reelection in 2024, given concerns about his age. Despite this, the meeting was reportedly centered on issues like abortion, climate change, and gun control.
The publication noted that Newsom’s comments come after he has won three elections over the last five years in America’s most populated state. Politico said he is a “firm supporter” of Biden running for reelection. Newsom won his gubernatorial race in 2018 and 2022 and had to go through a recall election against him in 2021.
Newsom had primarily ignored his own reelection campaign during the midterms, even though he was expected to win by a wide margin. During that time, he built a massive digital operation, including an extensive database of donors and supporters, while also attacking Republican governors who were running for reelection and are potential 2024 presidential candidates, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Politico noted that Newsom raised $113 million since his recall attempt and considerably grew his online footprint.