Gavin Newsom casts a wide net for advice. His inner circle is considerably smaller.

California’s Democratic governor — who’s become an increasingly active surrogate for President Joe Biden as 2024 approaches — is an inveterate texter who will tap out messages to a wide array of business executives, lawmakers and policy experts in Sacramento and beyond. But Newsom still relies on a core group of advisers — many of them San Francisco political veterans who have been with him since his days as a businessman-turned-mayor.

Those counselors have helped guide Newsom’s rise over the past two decades as force in California politics — including his triumph over a recall effort in 2021 and his more recent emergence as a national Democratic figure. They’ll likely be there should he launch a presidential run in the coming years.

Here’s our breakdown of the Newsomverse, based on interviews with dozens of people who know the governor and have worked with him.