For the past decade, Gavin Newsom has been the Democrats’ Golden Boy in the Golden State. Newsom’s polished, media-friendly aura and persona keep him in the national media spotlight, but that doesn’t mean he’s the best candidate to win back vital swing states in the Electoral College.

Since President Ronald Reagan completed his second term, no California candidates have been elected to the White House, and the state is arguably the most liberal in its policies, initiatives, and regulations.

When considering Gavin Newsom’s record, it is essential to remember that he has enjoyed an unofficial rubber stamp to implement any policies he vocally supports. During that time, California’s economy has grown. Still, it has also lost hundreds of thousands of residents who cited unaffordable living as the primary reason for relocating to Texas, Florida, and other southern states.

Newsom’s speaking style has been compared to Obama, which seems impressive at the surface level. When you stop and consider how much has changed in political strategy since Trump, the Obama comparison loses most of its luster. Obama’s popularity peaked in 2010 along with traditional political campaign factors such as fancy speeches. Passion doesn’t equal authenticity. Trump’s most successful feat was persuading blue-collar workers that he felt their pain.

The vast majority Americans couldn’t afford to live in Newsom’s state. Nobody in Appalachia or Rust Belt buys that Newsom feels the economic realities and pains inflicted on their region by green energy modernization. 

Heck, Harris came from far less than Gavin, and she still lost blacks and blue-collar independents.

Picture a 2028 Debate between the Rust Belt’s rags-to-riches story of JD Vance. I can already imagine Vance’s opening line:

“Gavin says he’s for the middle class and working Americans, but most Americans would have to work three jobs to afford living in his state. That’s why they lost more residents than any state.”

Newsom’s policies resonate well with the crowd that Democrats have already secured: upper-middle-class or wealthy females with college degrees who live in urban areas. That demographic is valuable in blue states, but ask Kamala Harris if she wishes she had expanded her base of support to males who are blue-collar workers without a college education or middle-class suburban mothers.

Two southern states have Democratic governors juxtaposed by Republican-led chambers: North Carolina has Gov. Josh Stein, and Kentucky has Gov. Andy Beshear. Stein, who was elected last November, is a rookie compared to Beshear. Beshear will complete his final term in 2026.

During Beshear’s tenure as governor, which began in December 2019, the Republican Party has consistently held the majority in both chambers of the Kentucky General Assembly: the state House of Representatives and the state Senate.

The Republican Party has controlled the Kentucky State Senate since 1999. As of the 2025 session, Republicans hold 31 of the 38 seats, maintaining a supermajority.

This Republican dominance in the legislature has enabled the party to set the legislative agenda and override Governor Beshear’s vetoes. For instance, during the 2024 legislative session, Republicans maintained their supermajorities, enabling them to pass legislation despite the governor’s objections.

Despite leading a deeply Republican state, Democratic Governor Andy Beshear has achieved several notable bipartisan accomplishments by collaborating with Kentucky’s GOP-controlled legislature. Here are some key examples:

1. Legalization of Medical Marijuana

In 2023, Governor Beshear legalized medical cannabis, with Beshear and Republican lawmakers jointly celebrating the achievement.

2. Sports Betting

Kentucky legalized sports wagering, marking a major policy shift supported by both parties. Beshear praised these efforts as examples of “divided government working to get the tough things done that voters want”.

3. Expansion of Voting Access

In a rare move among Republican-led states, Kentucky expanded voting access through House Bill 574. The law introduced three days of early in-person voting, transitioned the state toward universal paper ballots, and maintained an online portal for requesting absentee ballots. Governor Beshear signed the bill into law, highlighting its bipartisan support and its role in making voting more accessible for Kentuckians

4. American Rescue Plan Investments

Beshear and legislative leaders from both parties collaborated to allocate federal American Rescue Plan funds toward critical infrastructure projects. The bipartisan agreement directed investments into building better schools, expanding broadband, providing clean drinking water, and creating more than 14,500 jobs across the state.

5. Income Tax Reduction

In 2025, the Kentucky House passed House Bill 1, which reduced the state’s income tax. The bill received bipartisan support, with Governor Beshear signing it into law. Republican leaders credited the tax cut for bolstering Kentucky’s economy and noted the collaborative effort in achieving this legislative milestone.

Beshear has prioritized attracting businesses to Kentucky. He promoted the state at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, highlighting Kentucky’s workforce and potential for corporate expansion, especially in the electric vehicle battery sector.

Another notable feat for Beshear was healthcare expansion. Kentucky expanded healthcare access for 100,000 residents across the Bluegrass State.

Regardless of how Trump’s final year ends in 2028, independent voters will have at least one new choice at the top of the ticket, and most likely, the Democratic candidate will also be new, unless Kamala Harris opts to run and defies the odds against her. It’s safe to assume that voters who aren’t blindly loyal to either Republicans or Democrats will want a candidate with a proven track record of working with the opposing party to reach compromises and deliver positive results.