Gavin Newsom

Gavin Newsom
Newsom in 2019
40th Governor of California
Assumed office
January 7, 2019
LieutenantEleni Kounalakis
Preceded byJerry Brown
49th Lieutenant Governor of California
In office
January 10, 2011 – January 7, 2019
GovernorJerry Brown
Preceded byAbel Maldonado
Succeeded byEleni Kounalakis
42nd Mayor of San Francisco
In office
January 8, 2004 – January 10, 2011
Preceded byWillie Brown
Succeeded byEd Lee
Member of the
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
from the 2nd district
In office
January 8, 1997 – January 8, 2004
Preceded byKevin Shelley
Succeeded byMichela Alioto-Pier
Personal details
Born
Gavin Christopher Newsom

(1967-10-10) October 10, 1967 (age 56)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
  • (m. 2001; div. 2006)
  • (m. 2008)
Children4
Parent
Residence(s)Fair Oaks, California, U.S.
EducationSanta Clara University (BS)
Signature

Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman serving since 2019 as the 40th governor of California. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 49th lieutenant governor of California from 2011 to 2019 and the 42nd mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011.

Newsom graduated from Santa Clara University in 1989. Afterward, he founded the boutique winery PlumpJack Group with billionaire heir and family friend Gordon Getty as an investor. The company grew to manage 23 businesses, including wineries, restaurants, and hotels. Newsom began his political career in 1996, when San Francisco mayor Willie Brown appointed him to the city's Parking and Traffic Commission. Brown then appointed Newsom to fill a vacancy on the Board of Supervisors the next year and Newsom was first elected to the board in 1998.

Newsom was elected mayor of San Francisco in 2003 and reelected in 2007. He was elected lieutenant governor of California in 2010. As lieutenant governor, Newsom hosted The Gavin Newsom Show from 2012 to 2013. He also wrote the 2013 book Citizenville, which focused on using digital tools for democratic change. He was reelected in 2014. Newsom was elected governor of California in 2018.

During his governorship, Newsom faced criticism for his personal behavior and leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. He faced an unsuccessful attempt to recall him from office in 2021; he was reelected the next year.