Erika D. Smith, Columnist

Gavin Newsom Is Ready for the Biden Emergency

California's governor has fundraising chops, messaging skills and the campaign infrastructure to step up.

All eyes are on Gavin Newsom for a reason. Several, actually.

Photographer: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg

When cameras captured California Governor Gavin Newsom walking into CNN’s spin room on Thursday evening, flashing his Hollywood smile before the presidential debate in Atlanta, a few political observers in his home state rushed to social media with some version of the same annoyed question.

Why is he there?”