SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Without even being there, California Gov. Gavin Newsom was one of the biggest stars of last weekend’s massive Republican conference in Dallas.
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The American Conservative Union from Thursday through Saturday held its annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), an annual nationwide gathering of conservative activists and officials. The convention has increasingly become a platform for the far-right arm of the Republican party. This year’s speakers included former President Donald Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and My Pillow CEO and election conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell.
Newsom was referenced by multiple speakers, including Republican Congressional candidate and California State Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, who made him the focal point of his five-minute speech.
"Gavin Newsom's California is not a model to the nation. It is a warning to the nation," Kiley said to audience cheers during his five-minute speech.
Kiley, a Rocklin assemblyman who is campaigning to represent California’s new third district, ran against Newsom in last year’s recall election, which the governor won easily. Kiley garnered 3.5% of the vote.
The clearest evidence which showed Newsom has the GOP's full attention was from a straw poll of CPAC attendees, where one of the questions asked who they thought would be the Democratic nominee for president in 2024. Newsom was the clear leader, with 37% of respondents voting that they think he will be the party's candidate. Michelle Obama finished second at 16%, followed by Hilary Clinton and President Joe Biden, who each tied at 8%.
The poll, with respondents comprised entirely of conference attendees, has no predictive value. CPAC visitors are among the most strident conservatives in the country, and extremely unlikely to vote in a Democratic presidential primary. However, the survey does suggest Newsom’s strong relevance within the GOP's national conscience.
Newsom in recent weeks has been trying to expand his national profile, launching politics advertisements in Florida and Texas criticizing each states' conservative policies.
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