Why Gavin Newsom lost star surrogate status under Kamala Harris

SAN FRANCISCO — For more than a year, Gavin Newsom was everywhere as a star surrogate for President Joe Biden. Since Kamala Harris took over as the nominee, you almost have to squint to see California’s governor.

Newsom has spent little time campaigning in other states since his fellow Californian leaped to the top of the Democratic ticket, an abrupt shift after barnstorming the country for Biden, especially during the turbulent final weeks of his candidacy.

The governor also had a small footprint at last week’s Democratic National Convention, opting to make the rounds on cable TV and some podcasts rather than join most of his colleagues at state breakfasts, fireside chats with reporters and on the main stage.

More than a month after the shakeup, it’s still unclear what role Harris has for Newsom, a longtime ally and sometimes rival who is a product of the same elite San Francisco political circles.

Newsom’s reduced role in the campaign has fueled parlor intrigue in Sacramento for weeks, as political insiders question the governor’s status as a national surrogate and how his own potential future presidential ambitions could be affected by Harris’ rise.

Nathan Click, a spokesperson for Newsom’s political operation, said the governor is “all in” for Harris and dismissed any notion that his own presidential prospects could be a factor in his level of involvement.

“He is totally focused the next 70 odd days on electing VP Harris, defeating Trump once and for all, and going to the mat for her campaign,” Click said in an email, “just as he did at the convention, on Fox and elsewhere at the request of her campaign.”

Click added that Newsom plans to headline a fundraiser for Harris in San Mateo County just south of San Francisco Wednesday, an event his office and the Harris campaign hadn’t previously announced. Newsom’s camp said they’re also coordinating with Harris’ team on September campaign events.

The governor's scaled-back role is also likely a reflection of the stark differences between Biden and Harris.

Biden needed a burst of youthful enthusiasm to shore up support among the party’s liberal base, and Newsom was willing to be that voice when few other governors would. There was even some give and take, such as when the Biden campaign last fall indulged Newsom’s Fox News debate with Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Harris, on the other hand, can carry her own message nationally, has an abundance of intraparty momentum and needs swing-state supporters who can chip away at former President Donald Trump’s foothold in purple battlegrounds.

“He was a uniquely good surrogate for Biden. Kamala doesn’t need the energy delivery as much right now,” said Paul Mitchell, a Democratic consultant and Sacramento-based political data expert.

While Newsom stepped back after the president dropped out, others jumped to the forefront when Harris became the nominee.

Harris has included more House members and senators, as well as battleground state leaders, like Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan — who, as POLITICO previously reported , needed some prodding to get more involved with Biden. Other top Harris surrogates include Governors Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Andy Beshear of Kentucky, who, unlike Newsom, were both part of the veepstakes.

Newsom himself even suggested, in brief remarks last week with the Los Angeles Times, that Harris might not really need a fellow Californian. “At the end of the day it will be swing states that will be determinative, and if I can fill a void that others can’t, then I’ll be there,” he said.

The chatter around Newsom was amplified by his subdued showing at the convention. The governor made brief remarks from the floor as he led the state in delivering the final delegates to make Harris the party’s nominee, but he was one of the few major statewide California officials not to speak from the DNC main stage.

His camp said he had been offered a speaking slot in the 7 p.m. hour on the first night (outside primetime), but wasn’t able to arrive in Chicago in time because of a back-to-school commitment that morning.

Newsom also sparked a minor brouhaha last Friday when he seemed to joke about the unusual nature of Harris' ascension during an interview with Pod Save America : “We went through a very open process, a very inclusive process. It was bottom-up, I don’t know if you know that. That’s what I’ve been told to say.”

The governor quickly pivoted, however, telling the podcast’s hosts he’s amazed by “how unified” the party has become as he praised Harris.

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, an earlier mentor to both Newsom and Harris, had prodded Newsom to energetically support Harris. On Tuesday, Brown told Playbook, “I still have that attitude.”

As for whether the governor will hit the road for her, Brown said it’s still too early to draw conclusions about any role that Newsom might play in the final stretch. Plus, he added, that’s ultimately up to the nominee to decide.

Christopher Cadelago contributed to this report.

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