Gavin Newsom Gets Rude Awakening During Swing-State Visit

A visit to Michigan from potential 2028 presidential candidate Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) was characterized by botched meetings and fundraisers, according to a new report. 

Newsom spent the first half of this week campaigning and fundraising for Democrats in Michigan while stopping for a photo op at the University of Michigan’s famed “Big House” football stadium. The visit to the critical swing state didn’t exactly go as planned, according to a report from Politico’s Playbook. 

Politico reported on Wednesday that interviews with multiple Michigan Democrats raised “questions about the coastal leader’s resonance in the middle of the country and political operation following one of his most in-depth, high-touch early state trips this year.”

Newsom has long been considered one of the top contenders for the Democratic nomination, but some recent polls show his chances falling. One survey out of New Hampshire showed Newsom trailing Rep. Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) by 14 points and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg by 13 points.

An unnamed Democrat “insider” told Politico that Newsom’s Michigan trip was “rushed” while another person rated the trip as a “B-minus.”

Several top Democrats in the state also said they missed out on connecting with Newsom. Democratic National Committee Black Caucus chair Virgie Rollins complained that she didn’t get a meeting with Newsom — even though Politico reported a representative for Newsom did reach out to her on August 7. 

“Every Democratic president that has won an election has been in my house,” she said. “I did not hear from him. I did not get a call.”

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), a member of the influential Rules and Bylaws Committee for the DNC, said she did not meet with Newsom either. She referenced her support for auto manufacturing while Newsom has pushed stringent environmental standards that aim to ban the sale or production of gas vehicles by 2035. 

“I didn’t hear from the governor. I didn’t expect to: I’m a car girl,” she said. 

Additionally, a meeting between the powerful United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain did not happen despite efforts from the Newsom team. 

During the trip, two scheduled fundraiser appearances by Newsom fell through. One was for state House Democrats that ended up being called off by participants, while another for Democrat attorney general candidate Eli Savit was canceled by Newsom. That event was set to feature fundraiser Kelly Neumann, who has faced backlash for a Veterans Day post where she revealed her grandfather “was on the German side in WWI & WWII.” 

Newsom did meet with Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel. He also met with Michigan Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin.

“I doubt that it will be the governor’s last time here,” Hertel said. “There will be plenty of opportunities the next time he’s here, too.”