Gavin Newsom wants to appeal to God’s country. This southerner thinks he can | Opinion

In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom is seen by some as a liberal elitist, living in his mansion in one of the richest counties in the state. He doesn’t seem to have much in common with Bakersfield or cities and towns in other red counties of California.

But in Newsom’s unconfirmed but clearly serious presidential campaign, he’s come across a group of people that will prove pivotal to him if he takes a shot at being commander in chief: Southerners.

From the outside looking in, the South may be considered a Trump stronghold, but inside states like Tennessee reside liberals who want to change the political spectrum and swing the pendulum to the blue side.

That pendulum has been stuck on the red side for decades, but Newsom understands that he can’t wait for an official presidential campaign to begin to make himself known in regions of the country where Democrats are currently in the minority.

Last week, the California governor traveled around the south to talk to liberals who live in the so-called Bible Belt.

Newsom’s first stop was in South Carolina, where he was a guest on the Shawn Ryan Show. Ryan is a former Navy Seal and conservative. Then he stopped in Nashville to speak with the liberal liberal-leaning news site, the Tennessee Holler, a progressive news site.

Newsom did his now-normal moderate song and dance with Ryan, but with The Holler, he was much clearer about the importance of Democrats taking back the House of Representatives.

“If we don’t take back the House of Representatives, that would be one of the most profound moments in the modern history of this country,” Newsom told the Holler on July 11. “These guys (Republicans) have no shame and no limits unless we the people stand up, and next year’s a date with destiny.”

Newsom did not mince words and was blunt about what’s at stake, but I’m sure for liberal southerners it was a great change of pace to see a leader with progressive views speak candidly and confidently.

Republican primary elections in Tennessee are won simply by one candidate convincing voters that the other candidate is a raging liberal. The Democrats’ only play is to not appear too radical, a political tightrope that doesn’t always work in their favor.

You see moderate Democrats in the South, like Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and North Carolina Governor Josh Stein, toe this line effectively.

Newsom offers something that liberal southerners have lacked: confidence and courage.

Lonely life of a Southern liberal

By the time I was 21, I realized that I had more liberal views than my fellow southerners. I believed that healthcare should be accessible to everyone, women should choose what they do with their bodies, and Black Lives Matter. Radical things, I know.

Having these beliefs in the South was like wearing a sign on your forehead that said, “take your best punch.” It meant fighting for your political and personal values every day. You were on trial for just thinking differently from the conservative majority. Even worse, this Fox News watching majority is self-confident in its cultural dominance to the point of feeling emboldened to do and say hurtful things.

Feeling enabled to hate leads to violence, plain and simple. Only months ago, there was a story of a transgender woman who was minding her business in Nashville and was attacked on the street.

Being liberal in the South is lonesome, tiring and in some situations dangerous. Newsom sees the value of engaging in these states, in hopes of planting seeds that could lead to change. That’s how you create energy and excitement for those liberals who don’t feel like they belong there.

Tennessee for instance has one of the worst voter turnout rates in the country. There are so many people who lack the inspiration and education to express their views by voting.

Newsom is onto something by touring these places in the South where people are hoping to be energized and to find a campaign they can believe in.

But overall, in all the touring that Newsom has done across the country, going to southern states could be the best investment that he’ll make, because it shouldn’t just be up to Rust Belt swing states to determine an election.

It takes people from all corners of this great country to decide on our nation’s leader.

Newsom positioning himself as a middle ground moderate might be a facade to us Californians, but for southerners, it’s the right approach that just might make him a favorite for the Democratic primary and even in the presidency come 2028.

This story was originally published July 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.