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Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Current roleGovernor
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyLiberal Democrat
Age58 years old (Oct 10, 1967)
GenderMale
LocationCalifornia
BackgroundPolitician
EducationSanta Clara University — B.S., Political Science (1989)
Notable personal detailsGavin Christopher Newsom is an American politician and businessman who has served as the 40th Governor of California since 2019. He previously served as the 49th Lieutenant Governor of California and as the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco. He earned a B.S. in political science from Santa Clara University.
Supports targeted revenue-raising measures and state investment in programs while opposing a state wealth tax; has backed business tax changes and refundable tax relief for households. Positions emphasize expanding social programs and economic development while resisting large one-off wealth taxes.
Supports expanding government-run coverage and access to care through Medi‑Cal expansions, prescription drug cost controls, and state health-investment initiatives while opposing Republican proposals that would cut coverage; pursues incremental, state-level expansions rather than advocating for single‑payer/Medicare for All. Newsom has used executive actions and budgets to expand Medi‑Cal eligibility, invest in behavioral and women’s health, and seek greater state bargaining power on drug prices.
Supports protections for immigrant communities including DACA recipients and a congressional pathway to citizenship, while criticizing aggressive federal immigration raids and expanding state-level immigrant protections. Has backed state laws and proclamations that limit local cooperation with federal civil immigration enforcement and expand services for immigrants, but has also defended targeted cooperation with federal authorities in cases involving serious or violent offenders.
Supports broad legal access to abortion and measures to protect and expand reproductive-health services in California, including eliminating out-of-pocket costs, protecting medication abortion and patient privacy, and enacting laws shielding providers and patients from out-of-state prosecutions. Has signed multiple laws and proposed funding packages to strengthen abortion access and called for California to be a refuge for people seeking reproductive care from restrictive states.
Supports aggressive climate action including legally codified carbon neutrality by 2045, phasing out gasoline-powered passenger vehicle sales by 2035 and large reductions in fossil fuel consumption, and major clean-energy buildout (offshore wind, battery storage, ZEV deployment) with substantial state investment. Has extended and strengthened market mechanisms and regulatory measures (cap-and-trade/cap-and-invest, clean car/truck mandates) and advanced targets for 90%+ clean electricity by midcentury. Policy record includes executive orders, state plans, and legislation to reduce oil demand,支持
Gavin Newsom is drawing fresh attention as 2028 presidential speculation grows, with new polling showing his approval rating rising and California Democrats preferring him over Vice President Kamala Harris in early nomination matchups. He has not announced a run and has said he will decide after the 2026 midterms. Newsom is also in the spotlight for controversies tied to his national profile, including Donald Trump attacking him over dyslexia and backlash after Newsom called Israel an “apartheid state.” At home, he is warning that a crowded Democratic field in the 2026 California governor race could let Republicans advance, and he has urged lower-polling Democrats to consider dropping out.
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Gavin Newsom supports significant gun-safety measures including strengthening and expanding red flag laws, restricting ghost guns and certain semiautomatic weapons, raising regulatory and fiscal measures on firearms and ammunition, and backing stronger statewide and federal limits to reduce gun violence. As governor he has repeatedly signed packages of gun-control bills and called for federal action such as a renewed assault-weapons ban and universal background checks.