Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom is an American politician and businessman who has served as the Governor of California since 2019. Born on October 10, 1967, in San Francisco, he grew up in a family with a notable connection to the Getty family, which influenced his business and political endeavors. Newsom was elected mayor of San Francisco in 2004 at the age of 37, becoming the city's youngest mayor in over a century. He gained national attention for his controversial decision to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, making San Francisco the first city to acknowledge gay marriages, a move that was later overturned by the courts.
Prior to his governorship, Newsom held the position of lieutenant governor and was re-elected in 2022 after surviving a recall attempt in 2021. His tenure has been marked by significant events, including his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, during which he implemented strict health protocols that received mixed reactions from the public. Throughout his political career, Newsom has advocated for various progressive policies, such as universal healthcare and measures to protect consumer rights. Additionally, he has signed legislation addressing social issues, including a formal apology to Black residents for past slavery. Newsom's actions continue to shape California's political landscape and resonate with diverse communities across the state.
Gavin Newsom.
A fourth generation San Franciscan, Gavin Newsom became mayor of San Francisco on January 9, 2004. At the age of thirty-seven, Newsom was the city’s youngest mayor in over 100 years. His controversial decision to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples in February of 2004 led San Francisco to be the first city to acknowledge gay marriages but was soon overturned by the Californian courts as being unconstitutional. Newsom was elected governor of California in 2019.
Background
Gavin Christopher Newsom was born on October 10, 1967, to William and Tessa Newsom. William and Tessa divorced while Gavin and his sister Hillary were young, but the family remained close, and neither William nor Tessa remarried. After the divorce, Gavin and Hillary lived with their mother, who worked three jobs to support them, including working as a waitress, secretary, and bookkeeper. William Newsom was a judge in the San Francisco courts.
Education and Early Aspirations
As a child, Gavin Newsom suffered from dyslexia. Newsom attended Redwood High School in Marin County. He enjoyed sports and played both basketball and baseball. Newsom attended Santa Clara University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1989.
The Newsom family is friends of the Getty family, known for their billion-dollar oil business. William Newsom attended high school with Gordon Getty, the son of J. Paul Getty. William Newsom's father often acted like a father figure to Gordon Getty, whose own father was often busy with work and traveling in Europe. In 1973, William Newsom helped to negotiate the release of John Paul Getty III in Italy when he was kidnapped for ransom. Getty's grandfather had refused to pay ransom, and in turn, the kidnappers cut off the ear of their prisoner.
Due to the close relationship of the two families, the Gettys acted as strong supporters of Gavin Newsom's business ventures and political aspirations. The families often went on vacations together, including on African safaris and trips to Alaska. After graduating from college, Newsom opened a wine shop, and soon after created PlumpJack Management Group, which ran his wine distribution and restaurants. Newsom also invested in a ski resort in Squaw Valley and owns a 53-acre vineyard in Napa. The Getty family helped finance many of Newsom's businesses and later helped contribute to his political campaign for mayor.
Early Political Career
After succeeding in business, Gavin Newsom soon became interested in politics. His father William Newsom was friends with John Burton, leader of the California State Senate in Sacramento. Burton recommended Gavin Newsom to San Francisco mayor Willie Brown. Brown appointed Newsom to a city commission overseeing traffic and parking, and then to an empty seat on the Board of Supervisors.
Gavin Newsom, who had formally dated the singer Jewel, met and married Kimberly Guilfoyle in 2001. Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom is a former lingerie model who also served as Assistant District Attorney for San Francisco. She prosecuted the 2002 San Francisco dog-mauling case that sent a couple to prison after their dogs killed a lacrosse coach. She is now an anchor on Court TV and is a legal analyst for CNN. Gavin Newsom and Kimberly Guilfoyle divorced in 2005. Gavin Newsom married actress Jennifer Siebel in 2007. They have a daughter, Montana Tessa Newsom, born in September 2009.
An Irish Catholic Democrat, Gavin Newsom was elected three times to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (1997-2004). He decided to run for mayor of San Francisco in 2003, after the end of Mayor Willie Brown's term. Newsom ran against Matt Gonzalez, a Green party candidate who was previously a member of the Democratic Party. During his campaign, Newsom emphasized the homelessness problem in the city, the need to help schools, end corruption and special interests. With the help of the Getty family, Newsom raised $4 million for his campaign, almost ten times more than Gonzalez. Newsom was endorsed by former US President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore but was criticized by many local politicians of being a pawn for big business and being a lightweight on issues.
Mayor of San Francisco
Newsom won the election with 53 percent of the vote on December 9, 2003. He was sworn into office on January 9, 2004, by his father, the Honorable William Newsom. Newsom surprised many within his first few days in office by cutting his own pay in light of a $330 million budget deficit. He also made headlines by appointing women to the positions of Chief of Police and Chief of the Fire Department and hired an openly gay chief of staff.
Upon hearing President George W. Bush's State of the Union address which denounced gay marriages, Newsom decided to make another shocking change in San Francisco. In order to treat all couples equally, Newsom made the controversial decision to allow gay marriage licenses to be distributed. Over 4,000 gay and lesbian couples from California and around the country traveled to San Francisco to receive marriage licenses and get married. Newsom himself presided over the marriage of his chief of staff and his longtime partner.
The marriages in San Francisco received international attention for being both revolutionary and against the existing California law. Within several weeks, the California courts deemed the licenses to be illegally distributed and the marriages void, stating that Mayor Newsom did not have the authority to issue the licenses against existing California laws. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said that Newsom had ignored the law and acted above it, while US President George W. Bush said that the marriages were troubling to America.
Many gay rights activists fear that the ban on marriages in San Francisco may eventually escalate to become a constitutional amendment. Others say that Newsom’s actions have created positive media attention about gay marriage. Newsom's decision made San Francisco the first city in the US to sanction gay and lesbian weddings. The state of Massachusetts soon followed suit, legalizing gay marriage in the summer of 2004. Yet, in a surprising turn of events, the state of California passed Proposition 8 in 2009. The measure limits marriage to only male and female couples. Proposition 8 was challenged at the US Supreme Court and found to be unconstitutional in 2010. However, the proposition remained in the state constitution; a motion to rescind it was on the 2024 general election ballot and was expected to pass.
In addition to his controversial rulings on gay marriage, Gavin Newsom has also proposed a universal health plan for all San Francisco residents. Political analysts speculate that Newsom’s groundbreaking proposals may pave a way to higher office in the future.
Governor of California
After withdrawing from the 2009 race, Newsom became the forty-ninth lieutenant governor in 2011. After serving in this position through 2018, he again ran for governor, winning more than 60 percent of the votes. Elected to office in 2019, Newsom was California's Governor during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he mandated strict protocols for which he received support and criticism. Residents were outraged after he was photographed at a maskless dinner during a stay-at-home order, which led to a call for his resignation, but he was elected to office again in 2022. His reelection came after he survived an attempt to recall him from office in 2021, where thirty-eight percent of voters were in favor of recall. Among the laws Newsom signed during his second term included one banning local governments from requiring identification from voters; a bill prohibiting book bans in California's public libraries; bills that allowed local governments to create entertainment zones where outdoor alcohol sales are allowed; several bills protecting consumer rights by limiting the effect of medical bills on credit and providing eviction protection; a bill that approved tiny home shelters for the homeless. He also approved a bill that made a formal apology to Black residents for past slavery, but vetoed a related bill that would have required the state to make financial reparations for slavery.
Bibliography
“Gavin Newsom.” State of California, www.gov.ca.gov/about/ Accessed 17 Oct. 2024.
"Governor Newsom Statement on Constitutional Amendment to Repeal Prop. 8." State of California, 14 Feb. 2023, www.gov.ca.gov/2023/02/14/governor-newsom-statement-on-constitutional-amendment-to-repeal-prop-8/. Accessed 17 Oct. 2024.
“Meet Gavin.” Gavin for Governor, 2022, gavinnewsom.com/about/. Accessed 17 Oct. 2024.
"The 2024 California bills Gavin Newsom signed into law, and the ones he vetoed." LAist, 12 Oct. 2024, laist.com/news/politics/these-are-the-2024-california-bills-gavin-newsom-has-signed-into-law-and-the-ones-he-has-vetoed. Accessed 17 Oct. 2024.