Everything is going California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s way. His aggressive gamble to gerrymander California for potentially five additional Democratic congressional seats paid off, big time. It positioned him as the Democrat who is most willing to confront President Donald Trump head-on, and hence as the leading Democratic presidential contender. (RELATED: The Biggest Winner of This Year’s Elections: Gavin Newsom) By the time Newsom made an appearance at a union event in Houston, Texas, soon after his Nov. 4 Proposition 50 victory, Democrats were shouting “2028!” at him. It is as though, by consensus, he has been declared the Democratic frontrunner for the presidency. “Admit It. Gavin Newsom Is the 2028 Front-runner,” said Politico last week. “Gavin Newsom ‘light years ahead’ in 2028 Democratic field after Prop. 50 win,” said CalMatters. Newsom “cements 2028 front-runner status,” said the Hill. One jealous likely 2028 presidential candidate even told Vanity Fair of Newsom, “Being front and center now on the national fight with Republicans around gerrymandering, it’s pretty damn good positioning right out of the box.” (RELATED: Post Prop. 50, California GOP Needs Reality Check) Contributing to Newsom’s frontrunner status have been his social media antics of the second half of this year, in which he has parodied Trump’s social media style. In the words of Newsom’s speechwriter, Newsom has been “holding up a mirror to the clown show that is the Trump administration.” There was also his formidable stand against Trump’s efforts to deploy the National Guard in Los Angeles. Newsom is simply able to capture public attention with his charisma, aggressive media strategy, and relentless focus on winning attention. Another reason for Newsom’s success is his decision to purposefully step into the role of leader of the Democratic Party. His appearance at COP30 last week — at which he was greeted with adulation — offers just one example of how he has casually and confidently occupied this preeminent role. Two other Democratic governors, Tony Evers and Michelle Lujan Grisham, also attended the climate conference in Belém, Brazil, but they received only a tiny fraction of the attention garnered by Newsom’s appearance. As 91-year-old Willie Brown told Politico of Newsom last week, “He’s the movie star.” Newsom is simply able to capture public attention with his charisma, aggressive media strategy, and relentless focus on winning attention. (RELATED: Has the Left Moved on From Climate Change?) Newsom’s efforts are pointed squarely at winning the presidency in 2028. And, luckily for him, this year has been excellent for the development of his campaign. According to one “Newsom insider” who spoke to Vanity Fair, his campaign is even more prepared this year than last year, when, of course, he had hoped to join the race against Trump. “Gavin’s infrastructure is a highly developed, ready-for-president infrastructure,” the insider said. “It was that last year, and it is even more so now.” Also in development this year is Newsom’s memoir, Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery, which is set to be released in February of next year, timed perfectly to continue his relevance in his last year of office and before he can officially launch his presidential campaign. Presumably, the book is written so as to maximize the governor’s chances in 2028. Excerpts and interviews are being carefully plotted so as to bring as many eyes as possible to Newsom. Newsom can use the book to combat what he claims is a widespread “Newsom Derangement Syndrome” and present a new face to a world that looks down on his decision to have an affair with his best friend’s wife soon after she gave birth to their baby. Surely, Newsom’s book on his life will be more complimentary than my own biography of him. (RELATED: Gavin Newsom Plots Memoir to Recast Personal Scandals) Additionally, Newsom is preparing to take on a major role in next year’s primary elections, with the hope that his leadership role in a Democratic takeover of the House will give him a launching pad to announce his presidential bid soon thereafter. The fiscal crisis — a phenomenon entirely of his own making — will be a terrible look as he begins to wage his presidential bid. But even as Newsom’s lifelong plot to win the presidency is falling into place, there remain some storms on the horizon. First, there is the fact that Newsom’s profligate spending has spiraled California’s government toward a fiscal crisis. The state currently faces a $17.7 billion shortfall, but that could grow to a $35 billion — annual — shortfall come 2027-28. In other words, Newsom’s spending as California’s governor has not been remotely near sustainable and will, in fact, lead to basic essentials being cut by necessity. The fiscal crisis — a phenomenon entirely of his own making — will be a terrible look as he begins to wage his presidential bid. Moreover, California’s legislative analyst found that there has been “no payroll job growth in the state so far this year.” Also, the unemployment rate in California in August 2025 was 5.5 percent, the highest of any U.S. state. And then there is the giant asterisk on this year of success for Newsom. That would be the corruption scandal that has ensnared the woman who was his chief of staff until the end of last year. The allegations are colorful and shocking. Stealing. Lying to federal officers. Writing off a Fendi handbag and a more than $100,000 trip to Mexico. (RELATED: Arrest of Newsom’s Ex-Chief of Staff Prompts Allegations of Misconduct Within the Governor’s Office) Critically, this corruption scandal threatens to implicate Newsom in the appearance of impropriety, at the least. First, it threatens to do so simply by virtue of how brazenly his chief of staff, Dana Williamson, acted over a period of several years, according to the indictment. She demonstrated no concern whatsoever for ethics or the rule of law. It therefore seems likely that she would have also acted improperly while carrying out Newsom’s affairs as his chief of staff. Second, there is the fact that Williamson’s lawyer, as well as an anonymous source to the Los Angeles Times, has alleged that there was a federal investigation into Gavin Newsom. The governor’s spokesman has denied it, but the federal government hasn’t. What the government has said is that the investigation related to Williamson remains ongoing. Even if nothing comes of this, the fact that there are allegations of a federal investigation into Gavin Newsom — and one that began under Joe Biden, no less — will raise questions during the presidential campaign that will be uncomfortable for Newsom to answer (RELATED: Feds Investigated Gavin Newsom During the Biden Administration, Dana Williamson’s Lawyer Alleges) Third, the indictment hints at the possibility that Williamson could have interfered in a state lawsuit against the video game company Activision, one of her former clients and the client of several of her co-conspirators. Newsom had already faced heat for his decision to fire the lead counsel on the case and for the state’s decision to reach a paltry settlement deal with the company. But with accusations of corruption circling lobbyists for the company, Newsom is bound to face endless questions about the situation for the remainder of his governorship and into his presidential campaign. Fourth, this whole scandal has apparently resulted in “dozens” of California government insiders having their phones wiretapped by the FBI. That demonstrates that the scope of the investigation is widespread, and it leaves the public the impression that corruption in Sacramento may not be confined to Williamson and her two charged co-conspirators. Could there, in fact, be an environment of corruption surrounding Gavin Newsom’s governorship? Democratic consultant Steve Maviglio speculated to the Los Angeles Times this week that the extent of the FBI’s interception of private communications suggests that this investigation could be much larger than we currently think. “It sends a chill up your spine, and everybody is worried,” he said about insiders’ reception of FBI letters, noting that their communications had been tapped. “They can’t remember what they said to whom, about what. It could be anything. I think most people think this could be the tip of the iceberg. They are very concerned about where all these roads might lead.” Gavin Newsom has had a very good year in terms of preparing to launch his presidential bid. But this corruption scandal is threatening to reach far beyond a one-off headline about a former aide getting caught stealing money. The governor had better be prepping his defenses if he wants to achieve his lifelong dream. Ellie Gardey Holmes is the author of Newsom Unleashed: The Progressive Lust for Unbridled Power. READ MORE: The Biggest Winner of This Year’s Elections: Gavin Newsom Feds Investigated Gavin Newsom During the Biden Administration, Dana Williamson’s Lawyer Alleges Arrest of Newsom’s Ex-Chief of Staff Prompts Allegations of Misconduct Within the Governor’s Office