Gavin Newsom will be president. The only question is when.

Newsom runs the fifth largest economy in the world and has a record budget surplus. He’s proven to be pragmatic in steering the state toward huge declines in greenhouse gases while keeping refineries and a nuclear plant running. He won his election with 62% of the vote, easily defeated a well-funded recall effort, and is cruising to a reelection victory in November. Despite the tumultuousness of COVID-19, unprecedented gasoline prices, and high inflation, Newsom has already received some 1.4 million votes to his opponent’s 346,018. His 2018 landslide win was the largest since Earl Warren won reelection in 1950, and he’s poised to do even better this time. Newsom could well exceed Warren’s 64.86% of the vote.

He’s creating a story to be told on the stump. This attractive man, born to some affluence, has prided himself on making California leadership reflect California’s residents. He appointed the first California Latino to the U.S. Senate, the first Latino to be attorney general, the first black Secretary of State, and the first openly gay man to the state Supreme Court.

He’s giving Democrats something to smile about by publicly tweaking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. And though he was smart enough to pick fights with President Trump over COVID policies and to placate him when California needed federal help with wildfires, Newsom enjoys telling the story of Trump instructing him to “rake the forests.”