There are two and a half years left until the first presidential primary elections of 2028, but the pieces have already started to move.

Governor Gavin Newsom toured South Carolina last week, one of the states where the primary elections will be held early.

In a two-day tour of that state, at least at one of the events, they referred to him as a presidential candidate. He said he had only come to South Carolina to support his party for the 2026 midterm elections.

The crushing electoral defeat in 2024 that led the Democrats to lose the presidency and control of both chambers in Congress, has encouraged them to move earlier than usual.

Newsom has not wasted time. And the governor, who until a few months ago, was worried about how his popularity was plummeting, has managed to turn the score around.

His defiant stance in the face of President Trump's oppressive policies has helped him recover and gain sympathy.

A UC Irvine poll conducted after protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and clashes between protesters and federal agents in Los Angeles gave Newsom a 56% approval rating, a rebound from the low approval ratings of recent months.

People who previously criticized the governor are now raving about him; and support has begun to decline. Los Angeles pro-immigrant advocate Juan José Gutiérrez has already made it public that Newsom should be the Democratic nominee for president. Of course!

And now that he's back on track, Newsom has begun visiting Latino businesses and was even caught on camera throwing corn tortillas. These kinds of grassroots gestures go a long way in an election.

There's still a long way to go until 2028, but Newsom has a year and a half left as governor, and he has to take advantage of the spotlight that the position provides.

The governor has the right to dream big, He'll just have to be very careful not to neglect his duties as governor in the face of the state's many problems.

And let's not forget that former Vice President Kamala Harris could join the long list of candidates entering the primary for the Democratic nomination; and spoil Governor Newsom's party.

Nostalgia for Power

Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who lost reelection to current Sheriff Robert Luna, surprised everyone this week when it was revealed that he had registered his "Villanueva for Sheriff 2026" campaign with the Secretary of State's Office.

He has yet to say anything about a possible rematch against the man who ousted him.

Villanueva was sheriff from 2018 to 2022; but his constant bickering with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and his lack of tact cost him his job.

Sheriff Luna has said he will seek re-election for another four years. Therefore, it's clear that his predecessor is the underdog.

Back in '24, Villanueva failed in his campaign for Los Angeles County supervisor when he sought to unseat veteran Supervisor Janice Hahn, who, after the defeat, took the liberty of mocking him, calling him a "double loser."

Someone should tell former Sheriff Villanueva that his chance has passed, and there's no need to expose himself to another electoral beating. He must certainly be feeling very nostalgic for power.

Unusual

In his first round of promotions as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, Jim McDonald only elevated one Latino to a high rank. This is Germán Hurtado, LAPD's immigration coordinator, who has been appointed deputy chief of the Central Bureau. Racial equity has yet to be achieved for Latinos at the highest levels of the LAPD; they make up half the ranks, but they are barred from high-ranking positions.