Who is Gavin Newsom? Why California Governor is resigning? What are his odds and who are his opponents in 2028 - Details

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday that he will commute the death sentences of all 548 inmates awaiting execution in the state. This move is seen as his final significant action before potentially resigning to run for the presidency in 2028. Newsom, 59, will be unable to seek office in 2026 due to California's constitutional limit of two four-year terms.

Newsom, the governor of the most populous state in the United States, has a history of conflict with former President Donald Trump, including disagreements over the federalization of the California National Guard, deemed illegal by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. In June, Newsom accused Trump of directing a politically motivated investigation into him and his wife because he is contemplating a presidential run.

Having been widely considered a frontrunner for the Democratic Party's nomination for 2028, Newsom has visited early presidential nominating states such as Nevada, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, and currently has nearly $7 million in his political action committee. However, in September, he announced he would not run if former Vice President Kamala Harris entered the race.

If Newsom decides to enter the race, he would join a crowded field of Democratic hopefuls buoyed by the 2026 midterm election results. On Polymarket, Newsom is currently placed third, behind Jon Ossoff and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), with a 11% chance of winning the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028. Ossoff, a Georgia Senator who won his second term in the midterms last week, is viewed as the frontrunner for the nomination, despite saying in October that he has zero interest in running for president.

AOC is close behind with 17% against Ossoff's 26%. Andy Beshear, the Democratic Governor of Kentucky, hinted at a potential 2028 run in a September interview, stating, "I just won't leave a broken country to my kids or to our future generations."

Other potential Democratic candidates include Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who have not ruled out a presidential run, with Pritzker focusing on the well-being of Illinois residents and electing Democrats, while Shapiro recently launched a federal political action committee.