Summerville, S.C. – Governor Gavin Newsom spent a week traveling across South Carolina, selling “Gavin 2028” buttons and meeting voters ahead of the state’s first Democratic primary. While his campaign emphasized a fight against President Donald Trump, many locals reminded him that California’s liberal reputation is a political liability.
Local reaction to the California brand
Vera DeVito, a 78‑year‑old Democrat who attended a town‑hall in Summerville, said she knew little about Newsom’s policies beyond his California roots. “It’s going to be hard for him to appeal to the whole country,” she warned, noting that “everybody thinks California is different – especially in the South. They’re not crazy about California.”
Other attendees echoed the sentiment. Kirk Bovill, a 65‑year‑old former Los Angeles resident now living in Summerville, praised Newsom’s willingness to confront Trump but questioned his national appeal, calling him “too Hollywood.” “He doesn’t have a problem standing up to Trump,” Bovill added, “He’s not intimidated.”
California’s track record in presidential politics
Newsom’s team acknowledged what they termed “California derangement syndrome,” a pattern dating back to former Governor Ronald Reagan’s 1980 victory. Since then, California has produced several high‑profile but ultimately unsuccessful White House hopefuls, including former Governors Pete Wilson and Jerry Brown, businessman Tom Steyer, and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Despite that history, Newsom signaled he remains interested in the presidency. In an interview with the Associated Press, he said, “It’s the right question. Honestly, I don’t know. I think this thing’s happening… we’re already starting to interview state directors. So this thing is going to happen very, very quickly.”
Tour focus: attacking Trump and defending Democratic values
The “take it back tour” framed the South Carolina stops as a counter‑offensive to Trump’s recent actions, including the deployment of the National Guard to major cities, increased federal immigration enforcement, and efforts to limit mail voting. Newsom warned, “Donald Trump is ruthless. He’s going to try to steal this election. Neither can we.”
Republican activists outside several venues highlighted the California connection, with Dorchester County GOP chairman CJ Westfall labeling Newsom “a far‑left extreme Democrat” and chanting, “Wrong Coast.” Westfall warned, “We don’t want Gavin Newsom to California our South Carolina.”
Policy record that may sway Democratic voters
Newsom’s supporters pointed to his administration’s achievements: expanded health coverage regardless of immigration status, universal free school meals, a $20 minimum wage for fast‑food workers, protections for out‑of‑state women seeking abortions, aggressive climate and gun‑control legislation, and a death‑penalty moratorium. While critics decry California’s high taxes, the state remains the nation’s most populous and the world’s fourth‑largest economy.
As the Democratic primary approaches, the question remains whether Newsom can reframe California’s image from a liability into a strength. He told AP, “In a Democratic primary, we’ve got the receipts, things that the party is arguing for, we’ve delivered across a spectrum of issues.”
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
