Gov. Gavin Newsom launches four-day Southern tour to boost Democratic ranks
California Governor Gavin Newsom will travel through Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina next week, meeting voters and supporting Democratic candidates in key races.
Governor Gavin Newsom is set to embark on a four-day swing through the Deep South, starting in Montgomery, Alabama, where he will walk the civil-rights trail, host a town hall and speak with students at Alabama State University. He will then spend two days in South Carolina, targeting rural and traditionally Republican counties that supported Donald Trump in 2024, while campaigning for Democrats in tight state House districts and meeting with students at Allen University alongside gubernatorial hopeful Jermaine Johnson.
The itinerary ends in North Carolina with an event in Charlotte, fundraising activities and a Labor Day rally in Union County, a Republican stronghold. This journey builds on Newsom’s Campaign for Democracy, which has raised $15.2 million for Democratic candidates and party organizations, allocating more than $2.2 million to Southern state parties. Critics in California are using the governor’s national ambitions to press for policy concessions on issues such as labor, AI regulation and climate programs.
Why it matters
The tour shows how a state leader is leveraging national fundraising to influence down-ballot races and shape Democratic strategy in the South.
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