The Ghost in the Governor’s Closet: Newsom’s Past Scandal Resurfaces as 2028 Looms

Old Scandal Returns to Haunt Newsom as 2028 Talk Intensifies

As speculation mounts over whether California Governor Gavin Newsom will seek the presidency in 2028, a long-buried episode from his years as San Francisco mayor has resurfaced, prompting fresh questions about judgment, trust and political baggage.

The episode dates to 2007, when Newsom publicly acknowledged an extramarital affair with Ruby Rippey Gibney, the wife of his close aide and campaign operative Alex Tourk. At the time the revelation blew across the Bay Area political scene, severing alliances and testing the mayor’s public standing. Tourk soon left his post as chief of staff; Newsom issued a televised apology and vowed to repair the damage to both private relationships and public confidence.

“I want to make it clear that everything you heard and read is true,” Newsom said in that appearance. “I’m really sorry about that. I injured Alex Tourk and his family, who are very important to me. I have to deal with that.” He added an appeal to the residents of San Francisco: he had let them down and would work to rebuild their trust while continuing the work of governing.

The fallout was immediate and intense. The scandal dominated local news cycles, provided grist for late-night comedians, and handed opponents an easy line of attack. For many voters, the episode was an enduring stain — a personal lapse that raised questions about character and discretion.

Despite the uproar, Newsom weathered the storm politically. He went on to statewide office and eventually to the governorship, cultivating a national profile as an effective fundraiser and a polished communicator. But the Gibney episode never entirely disappeared; it has a way of returning whenever his name is floated for higher office, serving as a reminder of a scandal that once threatened to derail his career.

Complicating the calculus for 2028 are shifting cultural norms. Since the rise of the #MeToo movement, relationships between powerful public officials and subordinates have been scrutinized through a different lens. Some observers argue that the dynamics of that past liaison—given Gibney’s subordinate status at the time—could now be viewed as inappropriate workplace conduct, even if those involved later framed it differently.

Gibney herself has publicly weighed in on the broader conversation in years since, expressing support for the MeToo movement while also suggesting that her own situation didn’t fit neatly into that framework. She acknowledged the power imbalance but urged caution about applying new standards retroactively.

Still, the affair’s political afterlife is less about legal questions and more about optics. For a potential presidential contender, even a private mistake can become a recurring campaign liability: opponents will revisit it, media outlets will retell it, and skeptics will cite it as evidence of flawed judgment.

Adding fuel to the emerging controversy are recent comments from Newsom that many critics found alarming. During a podcast appearance, he responded emotionally to a perceived threat from Texas’s mid-decade redistricting plan—an effort that would add several Republican seats by reshaping maps. Newsom framed the Republican maneuver as a brazen attempt to tilt the political balance and vowed to fight back with aggressive tactics. In the interview he used coarse language and spoke of meeting force with force, a tone that advisers later described as unguarded and counterproductive.

Those remarks prompted concerns among centrists and moderates who worry about tone and temperament. They also give opponents another line of criticism: that Newsom’s rhetoric can be impulsive and divisive. For a politician already carrying a decades-old personal scandal, the combination of past and present controversies complicates any national calculus.

Supporters point out that Newsom has consistently won elections and delivered on policy priorities in California, arguing that his political resilience shows he can overcome past missteps. They say voters often prioritize competence and results over personal failings, and note that Newsom’s fundraising prowess and organizational strength could make him a formidable national candidate.

Yet the reality of a presidential race is unforgiving. Every gaffe, every old headline, and every unflattering anecdote is amplified under the national spotlight. If Newsom decides to enter the 2028 field, he will likely have to confront the Gibney episode head-on, explaining how he has grown and why voters should entrust him with higher office despite past mistakes.

For now, Newsom remains a figure of rising national interest whose record and reputation are being reexamined. The resurfacing of this long-ago affair is a reminder that political histories rarely remain buried. In an era of perpetual media attention and heightened expectations about public conduct, even incidents from nearly two decades ago can determine whether a candidate’s ambitions are viable—or whether they will be permanently shadowed by earlier controversies.

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