Gavin Newsom: from Mayor of San Francisco to Governor of California
30 october 2025 в 02:13
Gavin Newsom has long been one of the most influential figures in American politics. Currently serving as the Governor of California, he first gained attention as the Mayor of San Francisco, where his progressive policies, including his early support for same-sex marriage, made national headlines.
After eight years as Lieutenant Governor of California, Newsom ran against Republican John H. Cox in the 2018 elections and won by a large margin. He took office as the state’s 40th governor in January 2019, succeeding Jerry Brown.
In 2019, shortly after taking office, Newsom signed an executive order halting executions in California — the state with the largest death row population in the country. He also ordered the closure of the death chamber at San Quentin State Prison, calling the death penalty «ineffective, irreversible, and immoral». While the moratorium does not abolish the death penalty entirely, it effectively halted all executions during his tenure and reaffirmed his position on criminal justice reform.
«The American justice system is completely broken, and we all continue to perpetuate it», - Newsom said in an interview with ABC KGO at the time. «Systemic racism, unconscious bias, overt bias, prosecutor whims based on geography, based on the will of the people at the moment, fear and anxiety… until we solve this problem, I don’t think we can do what Saudi Arabia does and what North Korea does».
Newsom was elected Mayor in 2003 and held the position until 2011. During his tenure, Newsom garnered national attention for his support of same-sex marriage, especially during the battle over California’s Proposition 8. He ordered the San Francisco County Clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, which was a violation of state law in 2004. Although these marriages were later annulled because of this, he gained support from the LGBTQ+ community and advanced the framework for same-sex marriage statewide.
He was a staunch opponent of Proposition 8 during the 2008 elections, an initiative on the ballot that overturned the California Supreme Court’s decision that there is a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. Although Proposition 8 unfortunately passed, it was, of course, overturned in 2015 when the U.S. Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal at the federal level.
Gavin Newsom has been married to Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a documentarian and advocate, since July 2008. They have four children: Montana, Hunter, Brooklynn, and Dutch.
Prior to Jennifer, Newsom was married to Kimberly Guilfoyle from 2001 to 2005, during his early years in San Francisco politics. She was a prosecutor and television legal analyst at the time. After their divorce, Guilfoyle became a host on Fox News, and later entered into high-profile relationships with Donald Trump Jr., although the couple has since split.
The Governor of California has strengthened his national profile by engaging in high-profile battles with Donald Trump, visiting key states such as South Carolina, and positioning himself as a frontrunner among Democrats for 2028.
In a recent interview on CBS Sunday Morning, Newsom admitted that he would seriously consider running for president after the 2026 midterm elections, saying, «Yes, I’d be lying if I said otherwise»
After eight years as Lieutenant Governor of California, Newsom ran against Republican John H. Cox in the 2018 elections and won by a large margin. He took office as the state’s 40th governor in January 2019, succeeding Jerry Brown.
In 2019, shortly after taking office, Newsom signed an executive order halting executions in California — the state with the largest death row population in the country. He also ordered the closure of the death chamber at San Quentin State Prison, calling the death penalty «ineffective, irreversible, and immoral». While the moratorium does not abolish the death penalty entirely, it effectively halted all executions during his tenure and reaffirmed his position on criminal justice reform.
«The American justice system is completely broken, and we all continue to perpetuate it», - Newsom said in an interview with ABC KGO at the time. «Systemic racism, unconscious bias, overt bias, prosecutor whims based on geography, based on the will of the people at the moment, fear and anxiety… until we solve this problem, I don’t think we can do what Saudi Arabia does and what North Korea does».
Newsom was elected Mayor in 2003 and held the position until 2011. During his tenure, Newsom garnered national attention for his support of same-sex marriage, especially during the battle over California’s Proposition 8. He ordered the San Francisco County Clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, which was a violation of state law in 2004. Although these marriages were later annulled because of this, he gained support from the LGBTQ+ community and advanced the framework for same-sex marriage statewide.
He was a staunch opponent of Proposition 8 during the 2008 elections, an initiative on the ballot that overturned the California Supreme Court’s decision that there is a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. Although Proposition 8 unfortunately passed, it was, of course, overturned in 2015 when the U.S. Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal at the federal level.
Gavin Newsom has been married to Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a documentarian and advocate, since July 2008. They have four children: Montana, Hunter, Brooklynn, and Dutch.
Prior to Jennifer, Newsom was married to Kimberly Guilfoyle from 2001 to 2005, during his early years in San Francisco politics. She was a prosecutor and television legal analyst at the time. After their divorce, Guilfoyle became a host on Fox News, and later entered into high-profile relationships with Donald Trump Jr., although the couple has since split.
The Governor of California has strengthened his national profile by engaging in high-profile battles with Donald Trump, visiting key states such as South Carolina, and positioning himself as a frontrunner among Democrats for 2028.
In a recent interview on CBS Sunday Morning, Newsom admitted that he would seriously consider running for president after the 2026 midterm elections, saying, «Yes, I’d be lying if I said otherwise»
© Puhova Marina
