As rumors swirl about a possible presidential bid for Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), at least one Democrat in his home state says he wouldn’t be the strongest candidate to win the White House.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who has prompted his own rumors of a presidential run, threw cold water on the idea that Newsom would be a strong contender for the White House, offering rare criticism against a leader in his own state. Although he would “consider” Newsom a contender, Khanna noted there are likely stronger candidates in the Midwest that could win the nomination.

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“I don’t think he’d be impossible to beat. I think we’d have a lot of other contenders,” Khanna told radio host Hugh Hewitt earlier this week. “I think you’d have people like Shapiro and others [who] would be better candidates, potentially, in the Midwest. And I think Biden is a stronger candidate in Ohio, in Michigan, in Wisconsin, and in large parts of the country.”

Newsom has denied any plans to run against President Joe Biden in 2024, shutting down speculation the California Democrat is eyeing his own presidential bid next year. However, the governor is considered to be a likely contender for the White House in future elections.

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Khanna is also considered to be a strong candidate for a future presidential run, something the California Democrat has not confirmed but also did not rule out.

“After the ’24 cycle will be a time where America will start to look to the future,” Khanna told Politico in March.