Who is Gavin Newsom?

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

Newsom attended Redwood High School and graduated from Santa Clara University. After graduation, he founded the PlumpJack wine store with billionaire heir and family friend, Gordon Getty, as an investor. The PlumpJack Group 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 appointed Newsom to fill a vacancy on the Board of Supervisors the next year and Newsom was elected to the board in 1998, 2000 and 2002.

In 2003, at age 36, Newsom was elected the 42nd mayor of San Francisco, the city's youngest in a century. He was reelected in 2007 with 72% of the vote.

Newsom was elected lieutenant governor of California in 2010, defeating incumbent Republican Abel Maldonado, and reelected in 2014. He was elected governor in the 2018 election. He faced criticism for his personal behavior and leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was followed by an attempt to recall him from office. He prevailed in the 2021 recall election, "emphatically beating" what he labeled the Republican effort to remove him. Newsom was elected to a second term in the 2022 election.

Newsom hosted The Gavin Newsom Show on Current TV from 2012 to 2013 and wrote the 2013 book Citizenville, about using digital tools for democratic change. Political science analysis has suggested he is moderate relative to almost all Democratic legislators in California.