California Gov. Gavin Newsom has yet to officially announce a presidential campaign, but one of Hollywood’s most influential billionaires is already making it clear who he wants leading the Democratic Party in 2028.
Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings is throwing his support behind Newsom, praising the California governor as a Democrat capable of energizing both progressive voters and moderates while positioning the party to reclaim the White House after President Donald Trump’s second term.
“Gavin is the candidate who can motivate both the left and the center,” Hastings told the Los Angeles Times, offering one of the clearest endorsements yet from a major Democratic donor ahead of what is expected to become a crowded 2028 primary race.
The comments come as Newsom continues to fuel speculation about his national ambitions without formally declaring a campaign. Over the past year, the governor has increased his national profile through aggressive media appearances, policy-focused speeches, and a cross-country book tour that has taken him through several key Democratic strongholds and potential primary battlegrounds.
He has also expanded fundraising efforts through his political organization, Campaign for Democracy, which has raised millions while helping support Democratic candidates and causes across the country. Critics and political observers alike have viewed the effort as an early framework for a presidential run.
Still, Newsom may face stiff competition from another California Democrat: former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Despite her failed 2024 presidential campaign, Harris remains the early favorite in several hypothetical Democratic primary polls. A YouGov survey conducted last month found Harris leading with 25% support among Democratic voters. Newsom followed with 12%, while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg each polled at 9%.
Even so, there are growing signs that some major Democratic donors are looking beyond Harris and searching for a newer face to lead the party into the next election cycle.
“There is an enormous appetite for new blood — something fresh, something that really represents the future, not the past,” one anonymous Democratic fundraiser told the Los Angeles Times.
That sentiment appears to align with Hastings’ thinking. Although the Netflix billionaire supported Harris during her 2024 White House run — including a reported $1 million donation to the pro-Harris PAC Future Forward — he now seems to view Newsom as the stronger long-term candidate.
Hastings has been one of Newsom’s most reliable financial backers over the years. He previously donated $2 million to support Newsom-backed Proposition 50, a California redistricting initiative, and has repeatedly praised the governor’s political instincts.
Last year, Hastings described himself as a “big fan of Gavin Newsom” in comments to Politico, calling the governor “a gifted political strategist and a futurist.”
Newsom’s supporters argue he has become one of the Democratic Party’s most effective communicators, particularly when taking on conservative governors and Republican-led states in nationally televised debates and interviews. Critics, however, point to California’s ongoing struggles with homelessness, crime concerns, housing affordability, and business flight as potential liabilities in a national campaign.
For now, Newsom continues to publicly downplay questions about a presidential run. But endorsements from influential Democratic donors like Hastings are likely to intensify speculation that the California governor is already laying the groundwork for a serious bid in 2028.
