Newsom adds to presidential bid speculation with donation to South Carolina mayoral candidate

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) has been bolstering presidential ambitions in recent weeks, taking a particular interest in the Charleston, South Carolina, mayoral race — a critical Democratic voting region going into the 2024 election.

Conjectures about Newsom running a shadow presidential campaign were fueled by his trips to China and Israel in October. The Democratic governor also recently donated to the campaign of Clay Middleton, a candidate in the Charleston mayoral race to replace incumbent Democratic Mayor John Tecklenburg, according to Axios. 

IOWA GOV. KIM REYNOLDS TO ENDORSE RON DESANTIS IN 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RACE

Newsom’s political action committee, Campaign for Democracy, which made headlines as he toured across the South this spring, raised more than $17,000 for Middleton, a Newsom spokesperson said.

Middleton was an Obama appointee and a longtime aide to Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), who fully backs a reelection bid for President Joe Biden. Middleton has garnered endorsements from several high-profile Democrats, including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Clyburn, who once served as the House majority whip and whose support carries a lot of weight in state elections, endorsed his former aide last week. The Washington Examiner reached out to the above endorsers to ask about donations and fundraising efforts.

While South Carolina is a Republican stronghold where former President Donald Trump is dominating the polls, pockets of blue have emerged in the state, including the competitive Charleston County.

Despite South Carolina’s loyalty to Trump in 2016 and 2020, Charleston overwhelmingly voted for Biden in 2020 — with roughly 55% of the vote for the current president compared with 42% for Trump.

Newsom has denied claims he’ll run for president in 2024 and has been adamant about supporting Biden, telling NBC’s Meet the Press in September that it’s time to “move on” from those rumors.

Additional speculation came after the California Democrat appeared on Fox News’s Hannity, a rare move for a top Democrat. He has openly sparred with GOP presidential candidates, such as Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), whom he’ll debate this month, a possible opportunity to raise his national profile further as the Democratic National Committee has no plans for primary debates.

Regardless of Newsom’s work as Biden’s attack dog, his presidential-like actions in recent months have drawn backlash from the Democratic Party.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) took a jab at Newsom during an event in Iowa on Saturday, blasting the California governor for not having the “guts to announce” his campaign while referencing Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) launching his bid.

The Washington Examiner reached out to Newsom’s office and Campaign for Democracy for comment.