(NewsGlobal.com)- Even though he has denied having presidential aspirations for 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) has created a sizable digital operation, including sizable databases of funders and supporters.
According to reports, Newsom used the recall election held in 2017—in which he triumphed against a challenge to his position—to launch a fundraising blitz and compile an impressive list of email addresses and addresses for state officials.
Since battling the attempted recall, Newsom has raised $113 million, including nearly $20 million through the digital campaign. For a state representative, those are significant sums. They also highlight how Newsom, while mostly remaining off the radar until it was too late, has been able to create something that few others in the party can claim: a sizable digital infrastructure that will enable him to compete in 2022.
Newsom’s web presence significantly expanded over the previous year and a half. It is being led by Tim Tagaris, one of the top digital strategists for the party who set up Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-VT) ground-breaking fundraising initiatives in 2016. Compared to the 250,000 names on Tagaris’ email list before the recall, Newsom now has a list of more than 6 million names.
A decade-long exodus of homeowners and small business owners, the Republican base, has given Democrats a massive advantage in California. As a result, Newsom mostly ignores his reelection campaign, which he is expected to win despite his spotty record.
His main emphasis is his attacks on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), and others. He has even run advertisements in the Sunshine State. The Democratic governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, is under fire from Republican Mark Ronchetti, and this week, Newsom will visit the state to support her.
Earlier this year, amid rumors that President Joe Biden might not seek reelection in 2024 due to age-related concerns, Newsom paid a visit to the White House when Biden was gone. But during a debate with his rival, State Sen. Brian Dahle (R-Bieber), Newsom made it clear that he would not seek the presidency in 2024.
