Newsom Has California-Sized Monkey On His Back

California Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered his final State of the State address on Thursday. He painted California as a triumphant beacon and a policy blueprint for other states to follow. Still, for all his rhetorical defiance against California’s naysayers, Newsom’s presidential prospects in 2028 hinge on a far tougher sell.

Newsom boasted about California’s innovation, fairness, and supposed recent progress on homelessness and crime. Still, convincing Americans that his stewardship of the Golden State has been a success will not be accomplished through rosy speeches about perceived wins. The national perception of California as a high-cost, high-regulation cautionary tale persists and is only fueled by the state’s ongoing economic stagnation, social crises, and demographic flight. Middle America isn’t going to buy his reimagining, and he’ll need them too if he wants to win in 2028.