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South Carolina Republicans say they’re ready to give California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom “a HUGE Southern welcome” when he arrives in the key presidential primary state on Tuesday.
Newsom is teaming up with the South Carolina Democratic Party for two days of meetings with voters in the state that officially held the first primary in the Democrats’ 2024 calendar.
The trip by the term-limited governor with a large national profile is sure to spark plenty of 2028 speculation, since Newsom is considered a potential contender for the next Democratic presidential nomination.
Republicans in the GOP-dominated state are taking notice.
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Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California speaks with Fox News Digital at the Donald Trump-Joe Biden presidential debate, on June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
“Gavin Newsom is bringing his Crazy California agenda to Trump Country. It’s up to us to show him what real leadership looks like,” the South Carolina GOP said in an email to supporters.
The email included Newsom’s itinerary during his Tuesday-Wednesday swing, which is full of stops at cafes, coffee shops, community centers and churches.
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“The dates, times, and locations are listed below,” the South Carolina GOP said. “Show up loud, proud, and decked out in your Trump gear and flags.”
State GOP chair Drew McKissic, in a separate statement, argued that “Gavin Newsom should go sell Crazy California somewhere else. He won’t find many takers here.”
It was a similar message from South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who earlier this year launched a Republican campaign for governor in 2026.
“We don’t need Gavin Newsom’s twisted version of America in the Palmetto State,” Wilson argued in a statement. “If Gavin Newsom wants to test his national message here, he’ll be met by a united conservative front that knows exactly what’s at stake.”
The South Carolina Democratic Party, which announced Newsom’s trip last week, said it’s part of their effort to bring national Democrats to parts of the Palmetto State that they say have long been overlooked and “left behind” by Republican officials.
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“Governor Newsom leads the largest economy in America and the fourth largest in the world, and he’s coming to meet folks in towns that have been hollowed out by decades of Republican control,” state party chair Christale Spain said in a statement.
Newsom stopped in South Carolina in January of last year to campaign on behalf of then-President Joe Biden during the state’s 2024 presidential primary. Newsom also visited Nevada, another early-voting state in the party’s primary calendar.
And Newsom traveled last summer on behalf of Biden to New Hampshire, the state that for a century has held the first-in-the-nation presidential primary.
The former president was the Democrats’ 2024 standardbearer before dropping out of the race last July following a disastrous debate performance against now-President Donald Trump. Vice President Kamala Harris replaced Biden at the top of the Democratic national ticket.
South Carolina, New Hampshire and Nevada are vying for the lead-off position in the next presidential election cycle, and the Democratic National Committee is expected to decide on their 2028 calendar by early 2027.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, a top surrogate for President Joe Biden, speaks with voters during a stop at a highway rest area in Hooksett, New Hampshire, on July 8, 2024. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
Newsom has long been thought to harbor national ambitions and is considered one of many Democrats who may make a run for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination.
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The two-day swing through South Carolina will give Newsom an opportunity to make connections not only with voters, but also with local party and elected officials. The relationships forged this week could possibly pay dividends down the road for Newsom if he eventually decides to launch a 2028 presidential campaign.
