(The Center Square) \u2013 In California Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2019s final State of the State address Thursday, the potential presidential candidate positioned himself as an alternative to what he described as \u201cpurposeful chaos\u201d in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Washington, the president believes that might makes right, that democracy is a nuisance to be circumvented.\u201d the San Francisco native said before a joint session of the Legislature in Sacramento. \u201cPurposeful chaos is emanating from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.\u201d<\/p>\n
Newsom\u2019s State of the State address follows a November interview with CBS Sunday Morning<\/a> in which he said he would consider a presidential run after the 2026 midterm elections in November. However, some believe the governor’s speech at the Capitol was meant to position him to campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it was more of a campaign speech than a State of the State speech,\u201d Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Huntington Beach, told The Center Square. \u201cHe wants to launch his campaign for president, and he doesn\u2019t have a great record, so he\u2019s trying to put lipstick on that pig.\u201d<\/p>\n Among the issues Newsom addressed in his speech were the 52 lawsuits filed against the federal government by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the state\u2019s economy, artificial intelligence, education, labor, law enforcement, firefighters and the Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025.<\/p>\n But he also addressed concerns about the state\u2019s tax policy.<\/p>\n \u201cWe built one of the most progressive tax systems in the nation,\u201d Newsom said during the speech. \u201cOne that asks high-income residents to pay a little bit more without punishing those who are making a little bit less.\u201d<\/p>\n He also addressed California\u2019s budgetary challenges starting this year, which the Legislative Analyst\u2019s Office<\/a> projected in November would result in an $18 billion shortfall for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The deficit is caused by obligations to pay for school and community college funding mandated by Proposition 98, which California voters passed in 1988, and debt and reserve deposit requirements, according to previous reporting by The Center Square<\/a>.<\/p>\n The state\u2019s budget woes are expected despite $11 billion in revenue gain made in the last year, according to the Legislative Analyst\u2019s Office report. The governor\u2019s proposed budget will be announced in a press conference Friday in Sacramento.<\/p>\n \u201c[We are] mindful, as we should be, of the nature of our state budget and the longterm structural challenges,\u201d Newsom told legislators during his speech. \u201cWe\u2019re going to rebuild our reserves, $7.3 billion, pay down our longterm pensions, and of those obligations, over $11.8 billion will be met in the next few years, including $3 billion just in next year\u2019s budget.\u201d<\/p>\n A Democratic legislator who spoke to The Center Square on Thursday said Newsom\u2019s speech illustrated that California is still a strong, resilient state with a competitive economy.<\/p>\n \u201cOverall, I was pleased he was able to dispel some of the myths people have been putting out about California,\u201d Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, D-Stockton, said at the Capitol. \u201cHe did a good job of reminding us that California is strong and California is resilient, and people are not flocking to leave California. There are still people coming here, we\u2019re still innovative, and I thought he did a good job of showing the strength of California and why we are still one of the largest economies.\u201d<\/p>\n Governor Gavin Newsom delivers his 2026 State of the State address<\/p>\n January 8, 2026<\/p>\n Courtesy of the Office of the Governor<\/p>\n