Gavin Newsom is a political figure who has served as the mayor of San Francisco and more recently, the governor of California, but what is his political party?

Gavin Newsom is a member of the Democratic Party. In 2018, he won his most significant political role yet when he was elected as the governor of California.

Read more about Gavin Newsom and his political views below.

Who Is Gavin Newsom?

Gavin Newsom was born in 1987 and has a younger sister named Hilary.

Though not politically well-known themselves, the Newsom family had high profile connections. Newsom’s grandfather was a friend of the former governor of California, while his father was friendly with Gordon Getty, the son of billionaire oil tycoon Paul Getty.

Newsom’s parents divorced during his childhood and he spent much of his time with his mother, who worked several jobs to support the family. He attended a high school that taught in both French and English but struggled during his school years as he was diagnosed with dyslexia.

His diagnosis came when he was aged just five, though his mother did not immediately share this with him. He recalls seeing the ease at which his younger sister appeared to pick up academic disciplines. 

“I was always wondering why she would get done with her homework quickly and I was still struggling to work through it, and why my parents were so demanding with me and so easy on her as it related to academics.” When he eventually discovered his diagnosis, he felt that his difficulties had been explained.

He recalls the humiliating experiences of reading aloud in class and the impact his grades had on his self-esteem. 

Although he struggled academically, he showed promise at baseball and was able to attend college due to a scholarship he achieved through his sporting skill. In 1989, he graduated with a degree in political science. 

Following college, Newsom had a short stint in the real estate industry before opening a wine shop with a friend.

In 2001, he married Kimberly Guilfoyle, though the two divorced in 2006. Two years on, he married Jennifer Siebel, an actress, and filmmaker, and the couple shares four children. 

Political Career

Before becoming the dominant political figure that he is today, Newson served in local government office. He worked on the San Francisco Parking and Traffic Commission, and later on the Board of Governors.

In 2002, Newsom became a candidate for San Francisco mayor as a representative of the Democratic Party. His links to the oil industry were criticized by some fellow Democrats, however, this did not deter his campaign.

After a run-off election, he eventually won and aged 36, became the mayor of San Francisco. 

In 2010, he was elected as California’s lieutenant governor and in 2019, he continued to climb the ranks when he became the governor of California. There were rumors that Newsom may enter the 2020 presidential race, however, these failed to materialize.

Political Views

Newsom is a passionate advocate of equal marriage rights. As mayor of San Francisco, shortly after assuming this position, he gave marriage licenses to gay couples, allowing them to marry despite it being outside the law.

He is critical of the death penalty, saying “It has provided no public safety benefit or value as a deterrent. It has wasted billions of taxpayer dollars. But most of all, the death penalty is absolute, irreversible, and irreparable in the event of a human error.”

In 2019, he suspended the death penalty in California, a decision that is effective during his time in office. He is an advocate of workers’ rights and believes in mitigating the effects of climate change.

While announcing a 2019 state budget, he said “As we grow, we must demand that the benefits of this growth be widely shared by workers and small businesses – not just those with access to huge amounts of capital. This fund aims to level the playing field as we build a greener, cleaner economy.”

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