Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco, California and a member of the Democratic Party. Newsom was elected the city's mayor in 2003, succeeding Willie Brown and becoming San Francisco's youngest mayor in 100 years. In 2004, Newsom gained national attention when he issued a directive to the San Francisco city-county clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The unexpected move brought national attention to the issues of gay marriage and gay rights, solidifying political support for Newsom in San Francisco and in the gay community, and causing several other states to change their laws concerning marriage and gay rights.
Before his political career, Newsom graduated from Santa Clara University in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. He started the PlumpJack Wine Shop in 1992 that grew into a multi-million dollar enterprise. He was first appointed by Willie Brown to serve on San Francisco's Parking and Traffic Commission in 1996, and was appointed the following year as Supervisor. Newsom drew voter attention with his Care Not Cash program, designed to move homeless people into city assisted care. He defeated Matt Gonzales by 6% in his race for mayor in 2003. Newsom was reelected in the November 2007 mayoral election with 72 percent of the vote.
As Mayor, Newsom has focused on development projects in Hunters Point and Treasure Island. He signed the Health Choices Plan in 2007 to provide San Francisco residents with universal healthcare. Under Newsom, San Francisco joined the Kyoto Protocol. In his personal life, he divorced Kimberly Guilfoyle in 2005 and had an affair with his secretary Ruby Rippey-Tourk in 2006. He became engaged to Jennifer Siebel in December 2007.
Newsom is viewed in many political circles as a potential candidate for Governor in the 2010 gubernatorial election. In late 2007 and early 2008, Newsom meet with democratic strategists and supporters to discuss a run for Governor. He endorsed Hillary Clinton for President in 2007, serving as one of her campaign's co-chairs and campaigning on her behalf in Iowa.
