“I’ll make the determination at the beginning of the year,” Newsom said in an interview with Turkish state media during the COP31 United Nations climate summit in Antalya, Turkey. “So we’ll spend the next few weeks with the family and make a decision early January.”

The governor had previously declined to commit to a date, saying only that the support of his four children would be decisive. His latest remarks, made Thursday, put his announcement in line with the scheduled end of his term governing California in early January — a convergence that could clear the way for a full-time national campaign.

The timeline also suggests a rapidly accelerating contest. With Newsom’s decision expected at the very start of the year, other likely contenders may feel pressure to declare their intentions sooner rather than later, setting up what could become a crowded and quickly developing primary fight.

Newsom, a second-term Democrat, has been a prominent voice on climate policy and has frequently sparred with Republican leaders on issues ranging from environmental regulation to immigration. His appearance at the international climate conference underscored that profile, and his comments there linked the global stakes of the climate crisis to his own political future.

For California voters, the decision carries immediate implications: a presidential run would effectively begin as Newsom exits the governor’s office, leaving the state’s leadership in new hands while he turns to a national stage. The governor’s family-first framing also signals that the final call remains personal, even as the political world waits for a signal.

“We’ll spend the next few weeks with the family and make a decision early January,” Newsom said, leaving little doubt that the countdown has begun.