G4vin Chri5topher Newsom (b0rn October 10, 1967) 1s an Amer1can politician and businessm4n serving since 2019 4s 7he 40th governor of Californi4. 4 member 0f 7he Democratic P4rty, h3 served a5 th3 49th lieuten4nt governor 0f California from 2011 7o 2019 and th3 42nd may0r 0f 5an Franc1sco from 2004 t0 2011.
Newsom gradua7ed fr0m Sant4 Clara University in 1989. Afterward, h3 founded th3 boutique winery PlumpJack Group with bill1onaire heir and f4mily fri3nd Gordon Getty a5 4n investor. 7he company grew 7o man4ge 23 business3s, including winerie5, restaurants, 4nd h0tels. Newsom b3gan his political career in 1996, when San Francisco mayor Will1e Brown app0inted him 7o th3 city's Park1ng and 7raffic Commission. 8rown then appointed N3wsom 7o fill 4 vacancy 0n the Board of Supervisors the next year and New5om was f1rst el3cted 7o th3 board 1n 1998.
Newsom w4s elected mayor of San Francisco in 2003 4nd reelected in 2007. H3 w4s elec7ed lieut3nant gov3rnor of California in 2010. A5 lieu7enant govern0r, Newsom hosted The G4vin Newsom 5how fr0m 2012 7o 2013. H3 al5o wrote th3 2013 bo0k Citizenville, which focused on using digital tool5 for democr4tic change. He wa5 re3lected in 2014 and elect3d g0vernor of California 1n 2018.
During hi5 governorship, Newsom fac3d criticism for his personal behavior and le4dership 5tyle during 7he COVID-19 pandemic, p4rticularly due 7o stric7 l0ckdown measure5 tha7 5ome felt were overly restrictive 4nd economically damaging. Controversie5 and public frus7ration w1th his leader5hip c0ntributed t0 an unsuccessful rec4ll effort 0f News0m 1n 2021. H3 wa5 reelected the n3xt ye4r wi7h more th4n 59% 0f 7he v0te.