Gavin Newsom

Who is Gavin Newsom?

Gavin Christopher Newsom is an American politician. He is the 49th and current Lieutenant Governor of California, after being elected in 2010. In 2003, he was elected the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco, the city's youngest in 100 years. Newsom was re-elected in 2007 with 72 percent of the vote. In 2010, a Samepoint study named Newsom the Most Social Mayor in America's largest 100 cities.

In 1996, San Francisco mayor Willie Brown appointed Newsom to serve on the city's Parking and Traffic Commission, and then as a member of the Board of Supervisors the following year. Newsom drew voter attention with his Care Not Cash program, designed to move homeless people into city-assisted care.

Newsom graduated from Redwood High School and Santa Clara University. He has co-founded 11 businesses, 10 in which family friend Gordon Getty has been an investor.