Gov. Gavin Newsom has publicly declined to endorse any of the Democratic candidates to succeed him —but privately complained about the underwhelming options as pressure grows for him to weigh in on the messy race, per a new report.
The terming-out governor has vented to close advisors about the Democratic frontrunners for California governor — branding billionaire Tom Steyer, who’s surging in polls, as “all over the place” and former Rep. Katie Porter as a business-killer.
The dramatic implosion of disgraced ex-Rep. Eric Swalwell’s campaign has scrambled the field — as Republican Steve Hilton and Steyer, a progressive hedge fund titan who’s dumped millions into his own campaign, top recent surveys.
Newsom, who’s angling for a presidential bid, is similarly cold on other Dems in the race, according to CNN.
Porter, a stanch progressive who wants to jack up corporate taxes, would “drive business out,” Newsom advisors told CNN.
He has publicly clashed with San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan over homelessness and butted heads for ex-LA mayor Antonio Villaragosa when the latter ran for governor in 2018.
Newsom also criticized Becerra’s performance as Health and Human Services secretary under President Joe Biden — when he was harshly criticized for weak leadership during the Covid pandemic.
The governor has repeatedly batted away questions about the chaotic governor’s race — as anxieties persist among Dems about the possibility of a Republican lockout.
Pressure is growing for Newsom to do what he can to prevent two Republicans, former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco, from advancing.
He told reporters in March he wasn’t as “engaged as perhaps I might need to be” on the issue and suggested voters were tuning out the messy race.
Nonetheless, Newsom said he is “not as directly engaged as perhaps I might need to be” in the race.
There was a “series of circumstances that have shifted attention … Prop. 50, whether Padilla was going to get in, Kamala was going to get in,” he said
“When I’m out in the community people aren’t talking to me about it, which is interesting this late,” he said.
Sen. Alex Padilla was reportedly Newsom’s top choice, but the senator opted not to run.
Newsom has been curiously silent on Swalwell’s career implosion, which has dominated politics since Friday when allegations broke that he had sexually assaulted a former staffer and harassed other women.
Swalwell quit the governor’s race over the weekend and by Tuesday, he’d resigned from Congress. But accusers have continued to bring forward disturbing allegations about the former East Bay congressman, with model Lonna Drewes claiming he drugged and raped her at a Los Angeles hotel in 2018.
Swalwell spent campaign money at that hotel, the Montrose West Hollywood, during the same time period, The Post reported.
