Does Kamala Harris’ run for president throw a wrench in Gavin Newsom’s plans for 2028?

Good morning, happy Tuesday and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

THE LINKED POLITICAL FORTUNES OF HARRIS & NEWSOM

He’s spent the past two years swatting down rumors and questions about running for president, but Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plans are likely scrambled now that longtime friend and ally Kamala Harris has been all but elevated to the top of the presidential ticket.

It took Newsom only a few hours after Joe Biden’s bombshell announcement to give a full-throated endorsement of Harris as the best candidate to “prosecute the case against Donald Trump’s dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction.”

The governor also took himself of the list of potential running mates Monday.

“From his perspective, he has the best job in the world,” his campaign spokesman said. “He looks forward to supporting VP Harris and whomever she picks as her running mate.”

Newsom had also been laying the groundwork for a possible presidential run in 2028, but if Harris secures the Democratic nomination and wins in November, it could throw off the governor’s plans.

“It really pushes things back,” said Barry Burden, director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. “He does have time, just given his age, that he could mount a campaign in five or 10 years, but it probably is a setback for him in terms of national aspirations.”

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, said Sonoma State political science professor David McCuan.

“He could be a cabinet member. He could be someone who had a wide portfolio as a visible special member, reporting to the president. Heck, he could be DNC chair. That only helps his political rise and stardom,” he said.

While Harris and Newsom – who came up in the same era of San Francisco politics – are sometimes painted as political rivals or “frenemies” in the media, McCuan said the two “genuinely like each other.”

They also share many of the same mentors, donors and allies. With Harris’ star on the rise, Newsom only stands to benefit.

“The political stars that have aligned for Kamala Harris also have aligned for Gavin Newsom. He has nothing to lose by going on the stump for her,” he said.

Harris has energized Democrats nationally – and their dollars (more on that below). If Newsom becomes a top surrogate for the vice president the way he’s been for Biden, he stands to further boost his national profile among crucial Democratic blocs that he might struggle with nationally.

He “has to make some inroads into those voter subsets” including Black women and Latinos, McCuan said. “Being out on the stump in Arizona, being out in battleground states in the Sun Belt, being in Nevada, that all helps him. That helps her, too.”

HARRIS SETS SINGLE-DAY FUNDRAISING RECORD

Via Gillian Brassil…

Harris’ presidential campaign raised $81 million in the first 24 hours since it launched, the largest single-day haul reported in the 2024 top-office race between Democrats and Republicans.

It was the largest single-day total in United States history, according to Harris’ campaign, which reported that 888,000 separate donors had contributed in her first day as the clear front-runner to become the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee. The campaign said 60% of donors were making their first contribution of this year’s race and that they enticed 43,000 of them to make recurring donations.

The money raised from Sunday to Monday covered donations to the campaign, Democratic National Committee, and joint fundraising committees, per “Harris for President,” which replaced President Joe Biden’s campaign.

“The historic outpouring of support for Vice President Harris represents exactly the kind of grassroots energy and enthusiasm that wins elections,” said Kevin Munoz, a spokesperson for the campaign.

Biden handed Harris the reins to the Democratic campaign – and his $96 million war chest – on Sunday following three weeks of pressure on him to drop out of the presidential contest. With his endorsement and other top Democrats rallying around her, Harris emerged most likely to become the party’s 2024 nominee.

The GOP officially nominated Trump as its presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention last week.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I’m watching you, kid. I’m watching you, kid. I love you.”

-Joe Biden on speakerphone to Kamala Harris at her campaign HQ

Best of The Bee:

• How California Democratic Party leaders rallied hundreds of delegates to back Kamala Harris, via Stephen Hobbs and Jenavieve Hatch

• In first public remarks, Kamala Harris praises Joe Biden, doesn’t talk presidential campaign, via Gillian Brassil

• Kamala Harris’ potential challengers fall in line, clearing way to Democratic nomination, via David Lightman and Michael Wilner

• Do Republicans see Kamala Harris as easy to beat? via David Lightman

• A Harris-Newsom presidential ticket? There’s one big legal hurdle: The 12th Amendment