Although there is still a year and a half to go until the midterm elections are held next year, and just over three years until Democrats go to the polls to vote for who will be our presidential candidate in 2028. The urgency of the critical times we are living in requires that we identify our candidate for the next contest as quickly as possible. to elect the leader of our nation's destiny. Last year, 48% of the Latino vote voted for the current White House tenant. In light of the first five and a half months of this administration, the benefits received by our community in exchange for this historic vote the highest ever obtained by a Republican candidate clearly constitute a total disaster. For the community of Mexican origin, it has become crystal clear that we cannot repeat the grave mistake of giving our vote to another Republican candidate who includes in his government plan the continuation of Trump's anti-immigrant policies. To get us out of the political and social quagmire into which we have fallen since the beginning of Trump's second term, I propose the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom. My proposal for us to support his candidacy is based on the need to have a candidate who has the political credentials to defeat potential adversaries he will face in the 2028 general elections. What qualities am I referring to? His proven executive experience, his ability to be an articulate and effective communicator. Furthermore, he has a national political profile and a valuable asset: a gift for fundraising. He has also achieved top-level political victories for the Democrats. This is why he leads California, the largest state in the nation. He also possesses a proven capacity for crisis management and is a political operative who stands out from any of the Republicans, who are labeled as likely successors to the magnate. When Newsom was elected governor, California was ranked as the fifth-largest economy in the world. Today, he has already climbed a notch, displacing England and France, projecting himself to the world as the fourth largest economic power on the planet, behind only the United States (which without California would cede global supremacy to China), followed by the United States and Japan. This is explained by the fact that during the nearly seven years that Newsom has governed, he has been characterized by his ability to manage complex issues such as climate change, the provision of affordable and quality healthcare to Californians (including undocumented workers), infrastructure, and a budget exceeding $250 billion per year. In important political debates, the governor has demonstrated expert oratory skills and an impeccable media presence. He stands out for his imperturbable progressive philosophy, with a strong social emphasis and for effectively criticizing Republican policies, as seen in his debate with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his frequent appearances in national media. While Trump favors a minority of the mega-rich as the central axis of his fascist government, Newsom cultivates a national platform that puts the vast national majorities at the center of his proposal, cunningly beaten by an absolutist, racist, and exclusionary Trump. The Californian executive has positioned himself as a strong voice against the extremism represented by the MAGA movement, while his California donor base gives him access to immense fundraising potential. Gavin is a man of our time, and he is defined by his leadership in reversing climate change. In this regard, he championed aggressive climate goals, such as the ban on gasoline-only cars by 2035 and his push for significant investments in clean energy. Regarding citizen control of gun access, Newsom signed important gun safety legislation. When the Supreme Court eliminated women's right to abortion, Newsom made California a sanctuary state for abortion access after the Dobbs Act. On the health care front, he has consistently pushed for universal coverage measures by expanding the Medi-Cal program to all low-income adults, regardless of immigration status. To confront the crisis that threatened California, the country, and the world, during his administration, he worked hard to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, no small feat in a diverse state with a population of nearly 40 million. Although controversial, his initial, very strict measures were initially praised by many public health experts.

The governor possesses a marked charisma and enjoys verbal confrontations with Republicans at the national level and has proven to be adept at establishing strong contrasts, promoting all those interests that are important to the Democratic base. Many political experts have advised me not to express my support for the governor at this very moment, citing many reasons. They emphasize that a politician as progressive as Gavin Newsom cannot be elected in the United States, because they say we must not forget that his leap into politics was within what everyone recognizes as a progressive bastion: San Francisco. Despite this advice, which I consider brief, my position remains unshaken. Times have changed, and the American people are tending toward political radicalization in response to the Trump administration's elimination of social services and benefits for the majority. And in the case of immigrants, we cannot ignore the current campaign of terror and persecution that the authoritarian president has unleashed against undocumented working people. The reactionary and fascist agenda of Trumpism tends to intensify, and at an accelerated pace. Zohran Mamdani's victory in last month's Democratic primaries in New York is a symptom of what is to come in this country. Following the disaster of Kamala Harris's presidential candidacy in last year's elections, when, in violation of due process, the Democratic Party bosses imposed her candidacy by giving her a minimum amount of time to put together an effective political campaign, which did not happen. Our community needs a candidate who will synergize with the people to give him their vote in 2028. It is not yet known whether Newsom will be a presidential candidate. He denies it. However, next week he will meet for two days with South Carolina voters, fueling speculation that he is preparing for a presidential run in 2028. Newsom has a solid political record and has demonstrated his respect, solidarity, and understanding for Latinos and the nation's working class. He values ??our vote and upholds our dignity. For this reason, I call on him to run as a candidate to be the next president of the United States in 2028. I extend my full support. I value his courage in becoming the axis of the national resistance against Trump, who, in the best style of dictators like Pinochet, Hitler and Mussolini, unleashes terror, fear and division to enthrone himself in power and favor the American and international big bourgeoisie and to politically and militarily support the ultra-right government of Israel, which daily expands the genocide in Gaza, which offends well-born people. Juan Jose Gutierrez is executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition