California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is using his resistance to President Donald Trump as part of his campaign for the governorship of the state, according to the Los Angeles Times.
"You want resistance to Donald Trump? Boy, bring it on, Donald," Newsom said to plumbers and steam fitters at a union hall in March, the LA Times reports.
In California, a Democratic state the LA Times noted has been leaning more Democratic over two decades, the former San Francisco mayor is calling for increased gun control, legalization of marijuana, bans on new offshore oil drilling, and cancellations of increases in university tuition.
Opponents include former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state treasurer John Chiang, but Newsom's $12 million in fundraising has outdone them both.
As an owner of a network of restaurants, bars, and hotels in California, Newsom said, "I'm the only candidate for governor that's actually created jobs."
The lieutenant governor has used social media to take on Republicans, especially the president, which has led to 1.3 million Twitter followers.
On May 10, Newsom tweeted:
Newsom has been a longtime critic of Trump. In July 2016, he criticized then-candidate Trump, saying if he won the presidency, it would spell the "beginning of the end" for the Republican Party.
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