Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) on Thursday unveiled a revised California budget proposal that he said keeps the state balanced for the next two fiscal years, pushing back on critics who have accused him of overspending and setting up his successor to hold the bag.“I could’ve gotten out of here with a 12-month solution, stacked up a lot of wins, not had any of these questions about any of these cuts, and then really socked it to the next administration,” Newsom said in Sacramento as he rolled out a roughly $350 billion spending plan that avoids sweeping cuts.Newsom, who is term-limited and considered an early front-runner in the 2028 presidential race, added that he was not “trying to get out of dodge” but instead wanted to leave behind a budget that remains structurally balanced after he leaves office.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) speaks about his state budget proposal while also mocking President Donald Trump, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Sacramento, California. (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)
“I think that’s important,” he said. “I want to underscore that we are balancing not just for the next fiscal year, which ends July of next year, but we’re balancing for another year.”
The governor has worked to protect many of the signature programs that have defined his tenure leading the nation’s most populous state and one of the world’s largest economies. He framed the revised budget as proof that California can preserve its progressive priorities while also strengthening reserve accounts and rainy-day funds.
