Gavin Newsom for president? California’s governor says ‘it’s not even on my radar’

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has again tamped down speculation that he has his eyes on the Oval Office.

In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board Thursday, Newsom, a Democrat, said that he wants former California senator and current Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed President Joe Biden, according to the Chronicle.

“Yeah, I mean, I have sub-zero interest,” he said, according to the Chronicle. “It’s not even on my radar.”

The question asked by the editorial board was whether Newsom would promise not to run for president before the end of his second term, as he is likely to be elected to in November.

Newsom has been a name in national politics ever since his days as mayor of San Francisco. He has cast himself as a champion of progressive causes, ranging from same-sex marriage to abortion rights to universal health care.

In recent years, he’s kept the national attention with a series of high-profile spats with the likes of former President Donald Trump, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Newsom won election to the governor’s mansion with strong support in 2018, and in 2021 he easily defeated an effort to recall him from office.