By Sameea Kamal, CalMatters
CHICAGO — Many voters have gotten to know more about Vice President Kamala Harris in the past few weeks.
But, having come up politically during the same time one county over, Gov. Gavin Newsom has seen her star rise for the last 20 years, he said this evening during the ceremonial roll call nominating Harris at the Democratic National Convention.
After touting California’s diversity and its status as “the great state of Nancy Pelosi,” Newsom traced Harris’ journey from a prosecutor in Alameda County to vice president.
“Kamala Harris has always done the right thing,” he said. “A champion for voting rights, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, the rights for women and girls. So Democrats — and independents — it’s time for us to do the right thing and elect Kamala Harris as president of the United States.”
The two minutes of airtime from the noisy convention floor was Newsom’s latest opportunity to build his national stature. But it wasn’t clear whether Newsom will get an opportunity to address delegates from the United Center stage — as have Sen. Laphonza Butler, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass — before the convention ends Thursday night with Harris’s acceptance speech.
The governor was tapped to present the tally of all 482 California delegates who voted for Harris — like his predecessor, Jerry Brown, did in 2016. But this time, as her home state, California had the honor of going last.
His prominent role is a signal that Newsom, who was one of President Joe Biden’s most vocal supporters, has a place in the Harris campaign and possible administration.
While Newsom seemed to have gone relatively quiet after Biden stepped aside July 21, Nathan Click, a spokesperson for Newsom, told CalMatters earlier this month that Newsom was actively fundraising for Harris, and that they were finalizing plans for him to hit the campaign trail after the convention.
Immediately after the roll call, the governor did an interview with CNN in which he focused on the contrast between Harris and former President Donald Trump.
While the governor denies that he was ever pursuing the 2024 nomination, Harris’ ascendance presents a couple of obstacles, should he choose to eventually run for president.
Some expected he would run in 2028. But if Harris wins in November, she could serve two terms. That means the next opportunity for Newsom would be 2032 — which, since his term as governor ends in 2026, might be a long time to try and stay relevant.
Another possible hurdle would be selling the nation on the second president in a row from California — a state whose reputation can be a tough sell to some who lean more moderate or conservative.
Still, at least one consultant thinks focusing his attention on California would help Newsom.
“With Kamala as the nominee, he needs to turn his attention from being nationally focused to California,” said Brian Parvizshahi, a consultant who previously worked for Obama’s campaign. “He needs to make sure positions himself to have a strong legacy over these next two years. Especially as he needs to give voters a reason to elect two California Democrats as president.”
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