California Governor Gavin Newsom is consolidating early support for a 2028 presidential bid, edging past former Vice President Kamala Harris among Democratic voters in their shared home state. A USA Today/Politico survey conducted July 28–Aug 12 shows Newsom leading Harris 25% to 19%, with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 13%. Separate analysis by election statistician Harry Enten finds 75% of California Democrats now encourage Newsom to run, a 40-point jump since 2023. The governor’s rising profile coincides with his push to let California abandon its independent redistricting system for a single election in order to offset partisan maps Republicans are advancing in Texas. A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll released Aug 21 reports that although 63% of Californians call gerrymandering “never acceptable,” voters split when presented with the Texas scenario: 38% favor keeping the current process, while 35% prefer drawing Democratic-leaning districts of their own. A separate statewide survey by IAPolls, fielded Aug 17 and headed for November’s special ballot, finds 48% of all voters—and 55% of likely voters—support the temporary partisan redraw, with opposition at 32% and 34% respectively. Newsom’s job-approval rating in the same poll stands at 51% approve, 43% disapprove, up five points since May. Support for the strategy extends beyond California. A Politico national poll shows a majority of Democratic voters backing the idea of California countering Texas even though they broadly oppose partisan redistricting elsewhere, suggesting the party’s appetite for aggressive tactics is growing. The polling surge has lifted Newsom’s national prospects. On betting platform Polymarket his probability of becoming the 2028 Democratic nominee has climbed to roughly 32%, more than double Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s odds. Newsom has used the momentum to amplify his visibility, launching a tongue-in-cheek “Patriot Shop” that mimics President Donald Trump’s merchandise while raising funds for the redistricting campaign.