Newsom vows not to challenge Harris as Biden loyalists walk through fire

As Democratic governors’ faith in President Joe Biden’s electability fades, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is jumping to slap down rumors that he might replace the president at the top of the ticket.

During a news conference Wednesday at Sacramento McClellan Airport, the Democratic governor vowed he would see Biden through in his bid to stay in the White House this November.

“I think I’ve had 100 media outlets asking the same question, and I think that I’ve amply answered my support for the president and the support I saw on the ground was demonstrable,” Newsom told reporters who asked if he stood with the Biden campaign. A smile on his face belied the irritation in his answer.

The governor of the nation’s most populous state and widely viewed by the Democratic Party as a rising star, Newsom shut down questions that he might challenge Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic Party’s blessing should Biden end his candidacy.

When asked about promises he made last year not to run against Harris, the California governor reiterated that “of course” he wouldn’t compete against her.

Newsom also downplayed rumors that Biden might step aside while saying he had confidence in Harris’s ability to pull off a victory.

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“I have no doubt about that,” Newsom told the press as he affirmed his faith in Harris’s electability. “If it comes to that, but I don’t expect it’s going to come to that.”

Newsom’s vow to support Biden no matter what comes as other Democratic governors question the president’s ability to lead their party to victory this November. On Thursday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) was caught on a hot mic seemingly expressing doubts about Biden’s candidacy. Meanwhile, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) told the press it wouldn’t hurt for the president to take a cognitive test to prove to voters he’s fit to run the country. Both governors have been floated as Biden replacements if the president releases his grasp on his reelection bid.