Betting activity and early opinion surveys are converging around California Governor Gavin Newsom as a leading contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. Prediction platform Kalshi on Monday assigned Newsom a 20 % chance of securing the nomination, the highest level recorded for the governor, while rival site Polymarket said his contract price rose a further two points to a new peak. A separate Echelon Insights poll conducted Aug. 14-18 among 1,057 registered voters placed Newsom at 13 % support—second only to former Vice President Kamala Harris on 26 % and ahead of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on 11 %. The same survey’s sample of Black Democratic voters showed Harris leading with 35 %, while Newsom trailed at 8 %. Analysts credit Newsom’s recent bump to an aggressive national profile that includes frequent, Trump-style social-media broadsides against former President Donald Trump and public attacks on Republican redistricting plans. The governor’s all-caps posts prompted criticism from Fox News host Dana Perino, which Newsom’s press office amplified in a series of taunting replies that kept the exchange in public view. At home, Newsom has highlighted fresh "reports of fewer unsheltered homelessness" across California, saying the trend reflects closer coordination with municipal leaders. Opponents question the claim, citing the billions of dollars the state has spent on housing initiatives and pointing to continued tent encampments in cities such as San Francisco. The governor has not formally declared a presidential run, but his rising odds and heightened visibility are intensifying scrutiny of both his policy record and political style.