California Governor Gavin Newsom has released a new memoir, "Young Man in a Hurry", in which the Democrat lays out stories from his personal and political life. From his sometimes turbulent upbringing to his 2004 act in favor of gay marriage, when he allowed over 4,000 same-sex couples to get married at San Francisco City Hall during his time as mayor long before such unions were legalized, the book details some of Newsom's successes and failures, without giving a clear roadmap of what's to come. Newsom, who is termed out of office and cannot run again in November, has been open in interviews about the possibility of running for president of the United States in 2028, but has maintained the decision would be made "as a family" with his wife and four children.
As our infographic, based on data from betting platform Kalshi, Newsom currently has the highest odds of all Democratic contenders for the 2028 presidential election, with over 30 percent of people believing he will run as of February 23, 2026. This places him far ahead of all other potential Democratic candidates, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who came second at just under 10 percent, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (6.8 percent). In fourth position came former VP and once presidential hopeful Kamala Harris.
While Gavin Newsom so far appears as the clear favorite to represent the Democrats in the next election, Kalshi odds currently give him losing to VP J.D. Vance, with 18 percent against 23.
