Gavin Newsom

Newsom placed first in the November 4, 2003, general election in a nine-person field. He received 41.9% of the vote to Green Party candidate Matt Gonzalez's 19.6% in the first round of balloting, but he faced a closer race in the December 9 run-off when many of the city's progressive groups coalesced around Gonzalez.[25] The race was partisan with attacks against Gonzalez for his support of Ralph Nader in the 2000 presidential election, and attacks against Newsom for contributing $500 to a Republican slate mailer in 2000 that endorsed issues Newsom supported.[28][29] Democratic leadership felt that they needed to reinforce San Francisco as a Democratic stronghold after losing the 2000 presidential election and the 2003 gubernatorial recall election to Arnold Schwarzenegger.[29] National figures from the Democratic Party, including Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and Jesse Jackson, campaigned on Newsom's behalf.[29][30] Five supervisors endorsed Gonzalez, while Newsom received the endorsement of Willie Brown.[25][26]

Newsom won the run-off race, capturing 53% of the vote to Gonzalez's 47% and winning by 11,000 votes.[25] He ran as a business-friendly centrist Democrat and a moderate in San Francisco politics; some of his opponents called him conservative.[25][29] Newsom claimed he was a centrist in the Dianne Feinstein mold.[23][31] He ran on the slogan "great cities, great ideas", and presented over 21 policy papers.[26] He pledged to continue working on San Francisco's homelessness issue.[25]

Newsom was sworn in as mayor on January 3, 2004. He called for unity among the city's political factions, and promised to address the issues of public schools, potholes and affordable housing.[32] Newsom said he was "a different kind of leader" who "isn't afraid to solve even the toughest problems".[33]

San Francisco's progressive community tried to field a candidate to run a strong campaign against Newsom. Supervisors Ross Mirkarimi and Chris Daly considered running against Newsom, but both declined. Matt Gonzalez also decided not to rechallenge Newsom.[34]

When the August 10, 2007, filing deadline passed, San Francisco's discussion shifted to talk about Newsom's second term. He was challenged in the election by 13 candidates that included George Davis, a nudist activist, and Michael Powers, owner of the Power Exchange sex club.[35] Conservative former supervisor Tony Hall withdrew by early September due to lack of support.[36]

The San Francisco Chronicle declared in August 2007 that Newsom faced no "serious threat to his re-election bid", having raised $1.6 million for his re-election campaign by early August.[37] He won re-election on November 6, 2007 with over 72% of the vote.[4] Upon taking office for a second term, Newsom promised to focus on the environment, homelessness, health care, education, housing, and rebuilding San Francisco General Hospital.[38][39]

Newsom campaigning against Proposition 8 in 2008

As mayor, Newsom focused on development projects in Hunters Point and Treasure Island.

He gained national attention in 2004 when he directed the San Francisco city–county clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, in violation of the state law passed in 2000.[40] Implementation of Care Not Cash, the initiative he had sponsored as a supervisor, began on July 1, 2004. As part of the initiative, 5,000 more homeless people were given permanent shelter in the city. About 2,000 people had been placed into permanent housing with support by 2007. Other programs initiated by Newsom to end chronic homelessness included the San Francisco Homeless Outreach Team (SF HOT) and Project Homeless Connect (PHC).

During a strike by hotel workers against a dozen San Francisco hotels, Newsom joined UNITE HERE union members on a picket line in front of the Westin St. Francis Hotel on October 27, 2004. He vowed that the city would boycott the hotels by not sponsoring city events at them until they agreed to a contract with workers. The contract dispute was settled in September 2006.[41]

In 2005, Newsom pushed for a state law to allow communities in California to create policy restricting certain breeds of dogs.[42]

He signed the law establishing Healthy San Francisco in 2007 to provide city residents with universal health care.

Newsom came under attack from the San Francisco Democratic Party in 2009 for his failure to implement the City of San Francisco's sanctuary city rule, under which the city was to not assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.[43]

The same year, Newsom received the Leadership for Healthy Communities Award, along with Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City and three other public officials, for his commitment to making healthful food and physical activity options more accessible to children and families.[44] He hosted the Urban-Rural Roundtable in 2008 to explore ways to promote regional food development and increased access to healthy, affordable food.[45] Newsom secured $8 million in federal and local funds for the Better Streets program,[46] which ensures that public health perspectives are fully integrated into urban planning processes. He signed a menu-labeling bill into law, requiring that chain restaurants print nutrition information on their menus.[47]

Newsom was named "America's Most Social Mayor" in 2010 by Same point, based on analysis of the social media profiles of mayors from the 100 largest cities in the United States.[48]

Newsom gained national attention in 2004 when he directed the San Francisco city–county clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, in violation of state law.[40] In August 2004, the Supreme Court of California annulled the marriages that Newsom had authorized, as they conflicted with state law. Still, Newsom's unexpected move brought national attention to the issues of same-sex marriage, solidifying political support for Newsom in San Francisco and in the LGBTQ+ community.[3][11][49]

During the 2008 election, Newsom was an opponent of Proposition 8, the ballot initiative to reverse the California Supreme Court ruling that there was a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.[50] Proposition 8 supporters released a commercial featuring footage of Newsom saying the following in a speech regarding same-sex marriage: "This door's wide open now. It's going to happen, whether you like it or not."[51] Some observers noted that polls shifted in favor of Proposition 8 following the release of the commercial; this, in turn, led to speculation that Newsom had inadvertently played a role in the passage of the amendment.[51][52][53][54]

Newsom supported a failed measure in 2012 that sought to end capital punishment in California. He claimed the initiative would save California millions of dollars, citing statistics that California had spent $5 billion since 1978 to execute just 13 people.[71]

Newsom also supported failed Proposition 62 in 2016, which also would have repealed the death penalty in California.[72] He argued that Prop 62 would get rid of a system "that is administered with troubling racial disparities." He also stated that the death penalty was fundamentally immoral and did not deter crime.[71]

In 2014, Newsom was the only statewide politician to endorse California Proposition 47, a piece of legislation that recategorized certain non-violent offenses like drug and property crimes as misdemeanors as opposed to felonies. Voters passed the measure in the state of California on November 4, 2014.[72]

In July 2015, Newsom released the Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy's final report, which he had convened with the American Civil Liberties Union of California in 2013. The report's recommendations to regulate marijuana were intended to inform a legalization measure on the November 2016 ballot.[73] Newsom supported the resulting measure, Proposition 64, which legalized cannabis use and cultivation for California state residents who are 21 or older.[74]

In response to pro-enforcement statements made by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, Newsom sent a letter on February 24, 2017, to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and President Donald Trump, urging them not to increase federal enforcement against recreational cannabis firms opening in California.[74] He wrote, "The government must not strip the legal and publicly supported industry of its business and hand it back to drug cartels and criminals ... Dealers don't card kids. I urge you and your administration to work in partnership with California and the other eight states that have legalized recreational marijuana for adult use in a way that will let us enforce our state laws that protect the public and our children while targeting the bad actors." Newsom responded to comments by Spicer, which compared cannabis to opioids saying, "Unlike marijuana, opioids represent an addictive and harmful substance, and I would welcome your administration's focused efforts on tackling this particular public health crisis."[74]

Newsom joined then-Long Beach City College Superintendent Eloy Oakley in a November 2015 op-ed calling for the creation of the California College Promise, which would create partnerships between public schools, public universities, and employers and offer a free community college education.[75] Throughout 2016, he joined Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf at the launch of the Oakland Promise and then-Second Lady Jill Biden and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti at the launch of the LA Promise.[76][77] In June 2016, the Lieutenant Governor helped secure $15 million in the state budget to support the creation of promise programs throughout the state.[78]

In December 2015, Newsom called on the University of California to reclassify computer science courses as a core academic class in order to incentivize more high schools to offer computer science curriculum.[79][80] He sponsored successful legislation signed by Governor Brown in September 2016, that began the planning process for expanding computer science education to all state students, beginning as early as kindergarten.[81]

In 2016, the Lieutenant Governor passed a series of reforms at the University of California to provide student-athletes with additional academic and injury-related support, and to ensure that contracts for athletic directors and coaches emphasized academic progress. This came in response to several athletics programs, including the University of California – Berkeley's football team, which garnered the lowest graduation rates in the country.[82][83]

Newsom released his first book, Citizenville: How to Take the Town Square Digital and Reinvent Government, on February 7, 2013.[84][85] The book discusses the Gov 2.0 movement that is taking place across the United States. Following its release, Newsom began to work with the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society at the University of California, Berkeley, on the California Report Card (CRC).[86] The CRC is a mobile-optimized platform that allows state residents to "grade" their state on six timely issues. The CRC exemplifies ideas presented in Newsom's Citizenville, encouraging direct public involvement in government affairs via technology.[87]

On March 13, 2019, Newsom declared a moratorium on the state's death penalty, preventing any execution in the state as long as he remained governor. The move also led to the withdrawal of the state's current lethal injection protocol and the execution chamber's closure at San Quentin State Prison.[90] In a CBS This Morning interview, Newsom said that the death penalty is "a racist system ... that is perpetuating inequality. It's a system that I cannot in good conscience support."[91] The moratorium grants a temporary reprieve for all of the 737 inmates on California's death row, which is the largest death row in the Western Hemisphere.[92]

In response to the Trump administration's crackdown on immigrants with criminal records, he has given heightened consideration to people in this situation.[93] A pardon can eliminate the grounds for deportation of immigrants who are legal permanent residents. Pardon requests from people facing deportation are provided with an expedited review by the state Board of Parole Hearings per a 2018 California law.[93] In his first acts of clemency as Governor, he pardoned seven formerly incarcerated people in May 2019, including two Cambodian refugees facing deportation.[94] He pardoned three men who were attempting to avoid being deported to Cambodia or Vietnam in November 2019. They had separately committed crimes when they were each 19 years old.[95] He granted parole to a Cambodian refugee in December 2019 who had been held in a California prison due to a murder case. Although immigrant rights groups wanted Newsom to end policies allowing the transfer to federal agents, he was turned over for possible deportation upon release.[96]

Newsom vetoed SB 1 in September 2019 which would have preserved environmental protections, of which the Trump administration were set to roll back by the government's relinquishment of endangered species protections.[97] The Newsom administration intends to sue federal agencies over the rollbacks to protect imperiled fish in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta in 2019.[98]

He attended the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit where he spoke of California as a climate leader due to the actions of Republicans and Democrats who held the office before him.[99][97] In August 2020, Gavin Newsom addressed the 2020 Democratic National Convention. His speech made mentions of climate change and the wildfires prevalent in California at the time.[100] On September 23, 2020, Newsom signed an executive order to phase out sales of gasoline-powered vehicles and require all new passenger vehicles sold in the state to be zero-emission by 2035.[101] Bills he signed in September with an environmental theme included a commission to study lithium extraction around the Salton Sea.[102]

In September 2020, Newsom signed into law a bill allowing California transgender inmates to be placed in prisons that respect their gender.[103][104]

As lieutenant governor in 2016, he was the official proponent of Proposition 63. The ballot measure required a background check and California Department of Justice authorization to purchase ammunition among other gun control regulations. In response to the 2019 mass shooting in Virginia Beach, he called for nationwide background checks on people purchasing ammunition.[105] Later that year, he responded to the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting with, "Tonight, CA stands with the Gilroy community." "Grateful for the law enforcement's efforts and their continues work as this situation develops."[106] He visited with survivors and the families of victims. While stating his support for the 2nd Amendment, he said he would like national cooperation controlling "weapons of goddamned mass destruction".[107] He also commented that “These shootings overwhelmingly, almost exclusively, are males, boys, ‘men’ — I put in loose quotes, I do think that is missing in the national conversation.”[108]

Reducing the cost of healthcare and increasing access in California were priorities he campaigned on. He also supported creating a universal healthcare system in California.[109] The budget passed in June 2019 addressed these priorities by expanding eligibility for Medi-Cal to undocumented youth ages 19 to 25. The state's health program for the poor already includes eligibility for those 18 and younger, but California will become the first state to expand eligibility to undocumented young adults.[109] Seniors who live in the state without legal immigration status may also be allowed to enroll, either by inclusion in the state budget or with Newsom's signature on legislation.[110]

Newsom declared a state of emergency on March 4, 2020, after the first death in California attributable to coronavirus disease (COVID-19).[111][112] His stated intention was to help California prepare for and contain the spread of the COVID-19.[113] The emergency declaration allowed state agencies to more easily procure equipment and services, share information on patients and alleviated restrictions on the use of state-owned properties and facilities. Newsom also announced that mitigation policies for the state's estimated 108,000 unsheltered homeless people would be prioritized with a significant push to move them indoors.[114]

Newsom issued an executive order that allowed the state to commandeer hotels and medical facilities to treat COVID-19 patients, and permitted government officials to hold teleconferences in private without violating open meeting laws.[115] He also directed local school districts to make their own decisions on school closures, but used an executive order to ensure students’ needs would be met whether or not their school was physically open. The Newsom administration's request was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to offer meal service during school closures, which included families being able to pick up those meals at libraries, parks, or other off-campus locations. Roughly 80% of students at California's public schools receive free or reduced-price meals. This executive order included continued funding for remote learning opportunities and child care options during workday hours.[116]

As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state continued to rise, on March 15, he urged people 65 and older and those with chronic health conditions to isolate themselves from others. He also called on bars, and brewery and winery tasting rooms statewide, to close their doors to patrons. Some local jurisdictions had mandatory closures.[117] The closures were extended to movie theaters and health clubs. He asked restaurants to stop serving meals inside their establishments and offer take-out meals only.[118] His statewide order to stay at home became mandatory on March 19. While it allowed movement outside the home for necessities or recreation, people were required to maintain a safe distance apart.[119] Activity "needed to maintain continuity of operation of the federal critical infrastructure sectors, critical government services, schools, childcare, and construction" was excluded from the order. Essential services such as grocery stores and pharmacies remained open. Newsom provided state funds to pay for protective measures such as hotel room lodging for hospital and other essential workers fearing returning home and infecting family members.[120] By April 26, he had issued thirty executive orders under the state of emergency while the legislature had not been in session.[121]

He announced on April 28, along with the governors of Oregon and Washington, a shared vision for reopening their economies.[122][123] His administration outlined key indicators for altering his stay-at-home mandate including:[124]

• the ability to closely monitor and track potential cases
• prevent infection of high-risk people
• increase surge capacity at hospitals
• develop therapeutics
• ensure physical distancing at schools, businesses, and child-care facilities
• develop guidelines for restoring isolation orders if the virus surges

The plan to end the shutdown consisted of four phases.[125] Newsom emphasized that easing restrictions would be based on data, not dates, stating "We will base reopening plans on facts and data, not on ideology. Not what we want. Not what we hope."[126] Regarding a return of Major League Baseball and the NFL, he said, "I would move very cautiously in that expectation."[127]

In early May, he announced that certain retailers could reopen for pickup. While the majority of Californians approved of the governor's handling of the crisis and were more concerned about reopening too early than too late, there were demonstrations and protests against these policies.[128] Under pressure, Newsom delegated more decision-making for reopening down to the local level.[129]

In May, Newsom announced a plan for registered voters to have the option to vote by mail in the November election.[130] California was the first state in the country to commit to sending mail-in ballots to all registered voters for the November general election.[131]

As the state opened up, an analysis by the Los Angeles Times found that new coronavirus hospitalizations in California began accelerating around June 15 at a rate not seen since early April, immediately after the coronavirus began rapidly spreading throughout the state.[132] On June 18, he made face-coverings mandatory for all Californians in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.[133][134] Enforcement would be up to business owners, as local law enforcement agencies view non-compliance as a minor infraction.[135] By the end of June, he had ordered seven counties to close bars and nightspots, and recommended eight other counties take action on their own to close those businesses due to a surge of coronavirus cases in some parts of the state.[136] In a regular press conference on July 13 as he was ordering the reinstatement of the shutdown of bars and indoor dining in restaurants, he said, “We're seeing an increase in the spread of the virus, so that's why it's incumbent upon all of us to recognize soberly that COVID-19 is not going away any time soon until there is a vaccine or an effective therapy”.[132]

In November, before the Thanksgiving holiday, Newsom was widely criticized for attending a birthday party for a lobbyist and political advisor at the Michelin 3-star restaurant The French Laundry in Napa County, where more than three families were in attendance, despite his administration issuing guidelines limiting private gatherings to only three households. Also in attendance were both the head lobbyist and the CEO of the California Medical Association.[137] Newsom and his office initially defended the outing, saying that public dining recommendations were separate from state guidelines for private gatherings and that the party was held outdoors. Neighboring diners at the restaurant shared photographs that appeared to contradict this, and said that Newsom's party was so loud that restaurant staff closed off their outdoor dining space with sliding glass doors, essentially making an indoor dining space. Napa County was in the "orange tier" of pandemic severity at the time, which permitted some indoor dining. Newsom later apologized for attending the celebration. The incident was said to have severely damaged Newsom's image and credibility amidst the public health crisis.[138][139][140][141][142]

In January 2021, the Los Angeles Times reported that Newsom's administration had mismanaged $11.4 billion by disbursing unemployment benefits to ineligible claimants, especially those paid through the federally-funded Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. Another $19 billion in claims remained under investigation for fraud.[143] State district attorneys said Newsom and Attorney General Xavier Becerra did not do enough to help prosecutors identify fraudulent claims. Experts said much of the fraud appeared to originate from international criminal gangs in 20 different countries.[144][145][146][147]

In January, Newsom oversaw a sluggish rollout of vaccines. California had one of the lowest rates of vaccination in the country.[148] By January 20, California had only used about 30% of the vaccines it had at its disposal, a far lower rate than other states.[149] After reaching high approval ratings, specifically 64% in September 2020, a UC Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies poll from February 2021 showed that Newsom's approval rate was only 46% with 48% disapproval, according to Los Angeles Times for his management in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, this being the highest disapproval rate Newsom has had during his tenure.[150]

In his February 2019 State of the State address, Newsom announced that, while work would continue on the 171-mile (275 km)[151] Central Valley segment from Bakersfield to Merced, the rest of the system would be indefinitely postponed, citing cost overruns and delays.[152] This and other actions created tension with the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, a labor union representing 450,000 members.[153]

A poll found that California voters thought the most important issue for the governor and state Legislature to work on in 2020 was homelessness.[154] In his first week of office, Newsom threatened to withhold state funding for infrastructure to communities that failed to take actions to alleviate California's housing shortage.[155][156] In late January 2019, he announced that he would sue Huntington Beach for preventing the construction of affordable housing.[157] A year later, the city acted to settle the lawsuit by the state.[158] Newsom has been characterized as an opponent of NIMBY (not-in-my-back-yard) sentiment.[159][160][161][162][163]

Newsom pledged during his campaign to tighten state oversight of fracking and oil extraction.[164] He imposed a moratorium in November 2019 on approval of new hydraulic fracturing and steam-injected oil drilling in the state until the permits for those projects can be reviewed by an independent panel of scientists.[165]

In a speech before representatives of Native Americans in June 2019, Newsom apologized for the genocide of Native Americans approved and abetted by the California state government upon statehood in the late 19th century. By one estimate, at least 4,500 Californian Indians were killed between 1849 and 1870.[166] Newsom said, "That's what it was, a genocide. No other way to describe it. And that's the way it needs to be described in the history books."[167]

He chose El Salvador as his first international trip as governor.[168] With nearly 680,000 Salvadoran immigrants living in California, he felt that the "state's relationship with Central America is key to California's future".[169] He was also concerned about the tens of thousands of Salvadorans that were fleeing the smallest country in Central America for the U.S. each year.[170] As governor of a state impacted by the debate of illegal immigration, he went to see first-hand the factors driving it and to build business and tourism partnerships between California and Central America. He said he wanted to “ignite a more enlightened engagement and dialogue.”[171]

Newsom has sympathized with activists who denounce police brutality, and believes police should be held accountable. He has spoken in favor of Assembly Bill 1196, which would ban carotid artery restraints and choke holds in California. He has claimed that there is no longer a place for a policing tactic “that literally is designed to stop people's blood from flowing into their brain, that has no place any longer in 21st-century practices.”[172][173]

Several recall attempts were launched against Newsom early in his tenure, though they failed to gain much traction. On February 21, 2020, a recall was introduced by Sheriff Orrin Heatlie, a Deputy Sheriff of Yolo County, California. It was approved for circulation on June 10, 2020 by California secretary of state. [174] In June 2020, the recall effort was launched against Newsom, mainly for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was initially given a signature deadline of November 17, but it was extended to March 17, 2021, after a ruling by Judge James P. Arguelles.[175] The petition received the support of California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Milan Patterson and former Mayor of San Diego Kevin Faulconer. Newsom's 2018 challenger, John H. Cox, donated $50,000 to the recall campaign.[176][177][178][179] In January 2021, the number of signatures for the Recall Campaign reached one million. It needs 1,495,709 valid signatures before March 17, 2021 to be on the ballot. The proponents' goal is to get 2 million signatures.[180][181] In January 2021, venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya launched a gubernatorial campaign to replace Newsom if a recall election takes place.[182]

By February 2021, the recall campaign reported having 1.3 million signatures, including about 300,000 from registered Democrats.[183][184] High-profile Republicans like former San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer or 2018 Republican nominee John H. Cox, who lost to Newsom, have announced their intentions to participate in the recall election as candidates.[183][185]

Following California Senator and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris' win alongside presidential nominee Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, Newsom was tasked with appointing her replacement.[186] Newsom faced pressure to appoint a Hispanic or an African-American woman to be her successor, with potential candidates including Mayor of Long Beach Robert Garcia, labor activist Dolores Huerta, Secretary of State of California Alex Padilla, and U.S. Congresswomen Karen Bass and Barbara Lee, Attorney General of California Xavier Becerra. On December 22, 2020, Newsom appointed Padilla to fill the seat. He will be the first Latino to represent California in the U.S. Senate.[187]

Newsom supports a series of tentative water-sharing agreements that would bring an end to the dispute between farmers, cities, fishers, and environmentalists over how much water should be left in the state's two most important rivers, the Sacramento and San Joaquin, which flow into the Delta.[188]

Due to a mass die-off of trees throughout the state which potentially could increase the risk of wildfires, Newsom declared a state of emergency on March 22, 2020, in preparation for the 2020 wildfire season.[189] After declaring a state of emergency on August 18, Newsom reported that the state was battling 367 known fires, many sparked by intense thunderstorms on August 16–17.[190] His request for a federal disaster declaration for six major wildfires was rejected.[191]