Gavin Newsom is a Democratic politician serving as the 40th Governor of California since 2019, representing the entire state rather than a specific district. Born on October 10, 1967, in San Francisco, he is a fourth-generation San Franciscan who was diagnosed with dyslexia at age five. Newsom founded the PlumpJack Group in 1991, growing it into a successful business managing wineries, restaurants, hotels, and retail across California with support from family friend Gordon Getty. He married Jennifer Siebel Newsom in 2008, and they have four children: Montana Tessa, Hunter, Brooklynn Stacia, and Dutch William. Notable achievements include issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples as San Francisco mayor in 2004, sparking national debate on gay marriage; advocating for universal health care, homelessness solutions, gun safety, reproductive rights, climate action, and criminal justice reform; and leading Proposition 50 in 2025, which passed with 64% voter support to redraw congressional maps favoring Democrats ahead of 2026 midterms.

Education and Political Experience

Newsom graduated from Redwood High School, where he excelled in baseball and basketball, and earned a Bachelor of Science in political science from Santa Clara University in 1989. His political career began in 1995 volunteering for Willie Brown's San Francisco mayoral campaign, followed by appointments to the San Francisco Parking and Traffic Commission and service on the Board of Supervisors. Elected the youngest San Francisco mayor in over a century in 2003 , he then served as Lieutenant Governor from 2011 to 2019 before winning the governorship in 2018.