Billionaire Reed Hastings — co-founder of Netflix — has become the first Democratic "mega-donor" to publicly bet on Gavin Newsom for the 2028 U.S. presidential race.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Hastings praised the California Governor as someone who can unite both the progressive and centrist wings of the Democratic Party, while also being capable of defeating any Republican successor to Donald Trump.
Hastings said:
“Gavin is a candidate who can energize both the left and the center.”
The statement comes while Newsom has not yet officially declared his candidacy but has been continuously making moves to prepare for a White House campaign, including nationwide fundraising through his "Campaign for Democracy" organization and conducting a book tour in several states considered Democratic primary battlegrounds.
However, Newsom will likely have to compete with Kamala Harris — who currently leads many primary polls for the 2028 election.
According to a YouGov poll last month, Harris received 25% support in a hypothetical Democratic primary. Newsom stood in second place with 12%, followed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pete Buttigieg, both at 9%.
The report also noted that many major Democratic donors are gradually moving away from Harris following the 2024 election defeat.
An anonymous fundraiser told the LA Times:
“There is a massive demand for a new face — something fresh that represents the future rather than the past.”
Hastings previously contributed $1 million to the Future Forward PAC supporting Harris in the previous campaign. However, he now states that his priority is Gavin Newsom.
Additionally, Hastings has been a long-time major donor for Newsom, having previously contributed $2 million to the Proposition 50 redistricting campaign in California.
Last year, Hastings referred to Governor Newsom as a:
“Talented political strategist and forward-thinking mind.”
