Newsom says he’s always had ‘insurgent’ mindset

Campaign Newsom says he’s always had ‘insurgent’ mindset Comments: by Ryan Mancini - 08/10/26 12:42 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Ryan Mancini - 08/10/26 12:42 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Sunday told reporters he’s always had an “insurgent” mindset, explaining what he thinks is the rationale behind why Democrats are choosing more progressive candidates over mainstream incumbents.

“I think this notion of insurgency over incumbency is the real message here, and people just want fighters that want people with conviction, strength, clarity. People that get it, want to get things done, and they’re done with the status quo,” he told reporters while campaigning for Democratic candidates in Michigan.

“I totally respect that,” Newsom added. “I long felt like I’ve been an established insurgent. I’ve always had that mindset.”

He added how the cost of living has people frustrated over wealth distribution in the U.S., saying voters live in a time “where just 10 percent of people have two-thirds of the wealth.”

“It’s a portfolio economy, not a paycheck economy,” Newsom said, “and people are pissed.”

Newsom, who will serve out the remainder of his term as the Golden State’s governor, is a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender.

Democrats in recent months have scrutinized the direction of the party after a series of incumbent losses to democratic socialist and progressive candidates. These candidates have emphasized voters’ dissatisfaction over the rising cost of living, among other issues.

Some lawmakers have reasoned that the Democratic Party has a “big tent,” but strategists such as James Carville have argued that these candidates and their policy proposals are “not popular.” Carville’s frequent criticism of the progressive left has been met with pushback, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) suggesting Carville start his own party.

“Look, James Carville has an opinion on everything, and I pay attention to almost one out of 10,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) told TMZ last week.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who sailed into office last year after twice defeating former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), reasoned on Sunday that more left-wing candidates are bringing the Democratic Party “back to what the party used to be.”

“You think about FDR and La Guardia, you think about the New Deal; that’s what the Democratic Party once was,” Mamdani said in a SiriusXM interview, referring to former President Franklin D. Roosevelt and former New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia (D). “That’s what it could be again. And if we want to win, I think that’s what we have to become.”

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