Gov. Gavin Newsom attends a meet-and-greet event in Summerville, S.C., on Sept. 3. The California governor’s visit to the South earlier this month could be a test run for a presidential bid.

When you think of Gavin Newsom, perhaps the last thing that comes to mind is “Southern.” 

But the governor from Northern California kicked off September by heading south to Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina on his “Take it Back” political tour to test the waters for his 2028 presidential run, and it didn’t go badly. 

The reason for Newsom’s Southern swing is no mystery. The Democratic National Committee moved South Carolina to the front of the 2028 primary calendar, ahead of mostly white states like Iowa and New Hampshire. Newsom and his fellow Democratic presidential candidates have shifted their travel plans accordingly.

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But don’t place any Kalshi wagers yet. Newsom told CNN on Monday that he may sit out the race if former Vice President Kamala Harris decides to run. 

If Newsom’s fellow Californian does run, which is far from certain, she’d surely be a front-runner in the Palmetto State. After all, she led the Harvard/HarrisX national poll of Democrats’ preferences, at 42%, with Newsom in second at 18%.

But Harris, 61, has already lost a national election, and it’s hard to see how she fund-raises off that at a time when her party seems to be looking for something new. 

So is Newsom, 58, new? He definitely tried making that case in the New South.  

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“I think we need to try new things. Iterate. Take........

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