While flipping through the latest issue of Vogue magazine, rife with the usual perfume advertisements, archival looks and celebrity interviews, I stumble across a story profiling California Governor Gavin Newsom. The article describes his “Kennedy-esque charm” and “artsy temperament,” yet omits an inconvenient truth: Newsom has failed to deliver on the promises he campaigned on, instead opting to curate his public image in hopes of securing the 2028 Democratic ticket, creating a harmful standard that normalizes inaction for presidential hopefuls. Instead of making a preemptive presidential campaign through his media presence, Newsom needs to focus on domestic issues within California and demonstrate effective governance before turning to the national stage.
During his 2018 gubernatorial campaign, Newsom pledged to build 3.5 million units of new housing by 2025, implement a single-payer healthcare system and address rampant homelessness, according to CalMatters. However, he has failed to deliver on all three of these central promises, leaving a trail of ineffective bureaucracy and civic incompetence in his wake. In 2023, new home construction was 87% below the target, and an audit revealed that 24 billion dollars was spent on homelessness, but that the state had failed to track spending and results to ensure that the money was used properly, according to the Hoover Institution of Stanford University. Both homelessness and affordability remain critical issues during his tenure as governor and a failure to implement promised infrastructure demonstrates a clear disconnect in campaign promises and feasible implementation.
Moreover, California’s cost of living is the third highest in the nation and stands nearly 42% higher than the national average, according to the World Population Review. This dire reality has resulted in an exodus of people leaving California and moving to more affordable states such as Texas and Florida that offer lower costs of living. Beyond this economic strain, he also faltered on his promise of a single-payer healthcare system—which initially gained him the support of the more progressive branch of the Democratic Party—shifting to a more gradual expansion of the Medi-Cal program for all low-income residents, regardless of immigration status. While this is a positive step in guaranteeing health coverage for all California residents, his retreat on this issue is just one example of his ideological pandering to accrue votes while failing to enact meaningful reforms for constituents
The three critical issues that Newsom campaigned to reform remain unattended to, showing that he has much to reform within California before even considering a presidential run. In fact, 54% of registered voters believed that Newsom was more focused on the White House than governing the state, according to a poll conducted by UC Berkeley.
Rather than prioritize empty political maneuvers on a national scale, Newsom should recenter his focus on California residents. He should establish a centralized, non-partisan commission that allocates funds to homelessness, ensuring that an independent authority oversees the proper allocation of taxpayer dollars. Instead of fighting futile wars to implement affordable housing in wealthier areas, he should focus on converting existing unused properties into housing, similar to cities like Detroit or New York City.
On principal, politicians should be measured by their competence rather than how well they present themselves. Thus, Newsom ought to focus on real policy changes within California before turning to a national campaign. Otherwise, we risk rewarding performance over pragmatism, which translates into real consequences when we elect our next president.
