Reuters US Domestic
WASHINGTON, Dec 14 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s aggressive policy agenda is doing more than reshaping the economy and immigration enforcement - it’s also giving a handful of Democratic governors a national stage to position themselves as potential 2028 presidential contenders.
California’s Gavin Newsom, Illinois’ JB Pritzker, and Maryland’s Wes Moore have seized on Trump’s moves to rally their party’s base, sharpen their contrasts with the White House, and build networks beyond their home states.
Trump’s push for Republican states to redraw their congressional districts to favor his party in next year's midterm elections, his military-style immigration raids in Democratic cities and deep federal spending cuts have triggered fierce resistance among Democrats. That opposition has become a political asset for governors looking to raise their profiles.
California Governor Gavin Newsom pushed back against Trump's redistricting effort by successfully championing a ballot measure in his state that may allow Democrats to take extra seats in next year's congressional elections. Newsom, who is weighing a 2028 presidential run, celebrated his win with a speech to Democrats in Houston, Texas, a move viewed as raising his profile beyond his home state.
Illinois' Pritzker, meanwhile, has positioned himself as a defender of immigrant communities against Trump’s enforcement surge. Last week, he signed legislation barring federal arrests at schools and courthouses. He has also headlined Democratic events in New Hampshire and Minnesota, where he has urged his party to be bolder against Trump.
Moore has blasted Trump’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce and slash SNAP food benefits for low-income families during a recent government shutdown. He responded by restoring full SNAP benefits in Maryland and campaigning for Democrats in swing states, framing his actions as a direct counter to Trump’s policies.
DEMOCRATS WANT PARTY TO PUT CHECKS ON TRUMP
Their actions have been greeted by relief and excitement in a party that is looking for a jolt after Trump trounced Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris last year, and Republicans gained control of Congress.
Mike Doyle, chair of the Harris County Democratic Party in Houston, attended Newsom's speech and said the crowd "was as enthusiastic" as he had ever seen. He credited Newsom for coming to Texas, a state in which Democrats are hoping to boost their electoral fortunes in the midterms and beyond.
Newsom's "decision to essentially kick off his 2028 presidential campaign in Houston demonstrated to a lot of folks on the ground exactly the kind of aggressive, mathematically sophisticated thinking Democrats need nationally," Doyle said in an interview.
Democratic strategists say the governors are tapping into frustrations among many Democrats over their party's struggle to define itself and what it stands for in the Trump era.
“If you ask Democrats in polling what they want most from their elected officials, it is to put a check on Trump,” said Cornell Belcher, a Democratic pollster.
Belcher has seen this before. He was a pollster for Barack Obama as the then largely unknown Illinois politician rose in national prominence during the George W. Bush administration largely through his opposition to the Iraq war.
As the governors' profiles grow, Trump has sharpened his attacks. He mocks Newsom as “Newscum” on social media, calls Pritzker “crazy” and a “big, fat slob” and has accused Moore of failing to control crime.
Asked for comment, the White House referred Reuters to the Republican National Committee, which said Newsom, Pritzker and other Democratic governors were out of touch with mainstream voters.
"In far-left states, extremists like Pritzker and Newsom can attack law enforcement and enable illegal immigrants, but once they step out their Democrat bubbles, they'll find most Americans don't support these radical policies," said RNC spokeswoman Delanie Bomar.
Newsom, Pritzker and Moore did not respond to requests for comment.
They aren’t the only Democratic governors considered to be in the 2028 mix. Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro and Kentucky’s Andy Beshear could also enter the race.
But Trump has not taken aim at their states the way he has with California, Illinois and Maryland, denying those governors the same kind of platform.
Strong opposition to Trump has boosted not just Democratic governors. In New York City, Zohran Mamdani’s unlikely victory in the mayoral race was made possible, in part, by his willingness to confront Trump on issues such as the rising cost of living and protecting immigrant communities.
NEWSOM TROLLS TRUMP
Newsom, arguably, has taken most advantage of the moment. On social media - a critical battleground for any politician with presidential ambitions - he trolls Trump with spoof posts that routinely go viral.
This month alone, Newsom has mocked Trump for receiving a "peace prize" from FIFA, soccer's global governing body, calling it a participation trophy, and for seemingly falling asleep during a cabinet meeting.
In July, he traveled to South Carolina, which likely will hold the first Democratic presidential primary in 2028. He also took center stage at the recent global climate conference in Brazil that Trump refused to send a delegation to, blasting the Trump administration’s economic and energy policies.
Newsom has acknowledged in interviews he is considering running for the 2028 Democratic nomination and will decide after next year’s midterms.
"A lot of people in public life are understandably intimidated by Trump and how he operates. Newsom has shown he is not one of those people," said Brian Brokaw, a political adviser to Newsom.
Similarly, Moore spoke at a Democratic dinner in South Carolina in May and followed that in June by addressing the NAACP, the biggest U.S. civil rights group, in Michigan, a key swing state. He campaigned for recent Democratic gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia, both of whom won.
Last month, Moore launched his own effort to redraw Maryland’s congressional map, a direct response, he said, to Trump.
“Because of the way Trump has governed, it has elevated issues to a national level that may have otherwise not become national issues,” said a Moore adviser, who asked not to be identified so as to be able to speak freely about the governor's actions.
Pritzker has also been making the rounds. In April, he gave a no-holds-barred speech attacking Trump in New Hampshire, another potential early-voting state, where he said he was “contemptuous” of Trump, while blasting his own party as “timid.” He also headlined a Democratic dinner in Minnesota in June and another dinner in the swing state of North Carolina in July.
In a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last month, 64% of Democrats had a favorable opinion of Newsom. A majority of Democrats said they were unfamiliar with Pritzker or Moore, suggesting both have work to do to build their national brands.
(Reporting by James Oliphant; additional reporting by Jason Lange, editing by Ross Colvin and Deepa Babington)
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