California Gov. Gavin Newsom (L) greets US President Joe Biden in San Diego. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a new interview with Politico that he does not plan to run for president in 2024, even if President Biden chooses not to.
Why it matters: Some Democrats and independent voters have shown interest in a candidate other than Biden running for president in 2024.
Driving the news: Newsom told Politico that he doesn’t plan to challenge for the White House in 2024, saying “the answer is no.”
- “I’ve told everyone in the White House, from the chief of staff to the first lady,” he told Politico.
- Newsom said he hopes that Biden will announce his 2024 run early next year so that people can stop asking the California governor if he plans to run.
- “He not only beat Trump once, I think he can beat him again,” Newsom told Politico. “I hope he runs, I’ll enthusiastically support him.”
The intrigue: Newsom has had clashes with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in recent months. DeSantis is seen as a potential 2024 Trump spoiler for Republicans.
The other side: Biden’s approval rating sits at about 39% right now, according to a recent Emerson College poll. And for that reason, there is an appetite from Democrats for a different candidate in the next presidential election.
- A Quinnipiac University poll found that about 68% of Americans don’t want Biden as the nominee in 2024.
- Similarly, a New York Times/Siena College poll found the majority of Democratic voters would like another candidate for the election.
Yes, but: According to the Emerson College poll, Biden would be victorious over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Trump in theoretical 2024 matchups.
- The poll found Biden was favored by Democrats as the nominee of choice, too, over Vice President Kamala Harris and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, per CNBC.
Worth noting: Biden has suggested he intends to run in 2024 but has held off on an official announcement.
- He told MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart that he hasn’t made a formal announcement yet since “a whole series of regulations kick in” once he does and he has to “treat myself as a candidate from that moment on.”
More from Axios:
President Biden reups his intentions for the 2024 race
Scoop: Stephen Schwarzman comes out against Trump in major defection
House Democrats eye lost ground in 2024
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Read More: Gavin Newsom not planning 2024 presidential run, regardless of Biden’s decision
