Challenges Faced by Gavin Newsom: Obstacles and Turning Points

Life is full of challenges, and Gavin Newsom faced many. Discover key struggles and how they were overcome.

Gavin Newsom is an American politician currently serving as the 40th governor of California since 2019. A Democrat, his political career includes serving as the 49th Lieutenant Governor of California from 2011 to 2019, and as the 42nd mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011. He is a prominent figure in California politics.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

February 2007: Newsom Seeks Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder

In February 2007, Gavin Newsom announced he would seek treatment for alcohol use disorder.

2018: Paradise Fire

In 2018, at least eight evacuees burned to death in their vehicles during the fire that destroyed the town of Paradise.

January 2019: Newsom threatens to withhold infrastructure funding and sues Huntington Beach

In late January 2019, Gavin Newsom threatened to withhold state funding for infrastructure to communities failing to address California's housing shortage. He also announced that he would sue Huntington Beach for preventing the construction of affordable housing.

February 2019: Newsom announces changes to high-speed rail project

In his February 2019 State of the State address, Gavin Newsom announced that work would continue on the Central Valley segment of the high-speed rail project, but the rest of the system would be indefinitely postponed due to cost overruns and delays. This decision created tension with the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California.

January 2020: False claims about wildfire prevention

In January 2020, Gavin Newsom and Cal Fire falsely claimed that 90,000 acres of land at risk for wildfires had been treated with fuel breaks and prescribed burns.

February 21, 2020: Recall Petition Introduced

On February 21, 2020, a recall petition against Gavin Newsom was introduced by Orrin Heatlie, citing grievances such as Newsom's sanctuary state policy, high homelessness, high taxes, and low quality of life in California.

March 4, 2020: Declared state of emergency due to COVID-19

On March 4, 2020, Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in California after the first death attributable to COVID-19. This was to help the state prepare for and contain the virus' spread and prioritized mitigation policies for the state's homeless population.

March 22, 2020: Declared state of emergency for wildfires

On March 22, 2020, Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency due to mass die-off of trees throughout California, increasing the risk of wildfires.

June 10, 2020: Recall Petition Approved for Circulation

On June 10, 2020, the California secretary of state approved the recall petition against Gavin Newsom for circulation.

August 2020: Signatures Submitted and Verified

By August 2020, 55,000 signatures were submitted and verified by the secretary of state, for the recall campaign against Gavin Newsom.

September 2020: Newsom's approval rating

In September 2020, Gavin Newsom had an approval rating of 64%.

October 2020: Signatures Submitted

In October 2020, 890 new valid signatures were submitted for the recall campaign against Gavin Newsom.

November 2020: Attendance at The French Laundry

In November 2020, Gavin Newsom attended a party at The French Laundry, despite his public health measures. This event was one factor contributing to the growing support for the recall effort, after it occurred on November 6.

November 17, 2020: Original Deadline for Recall Signatures

November 17, 2020, was the original deadline for submitting signatures for the recall petition against Gavin Newsom. However, it was later extended due to the pandemic.

2020: Voters thought the most important issue for Newsom and the state legislature to work on in 2020 was homelessness

In 2020, a poll found that California voters thought the most important issue for Newsom and the state legislature to work on was homelessness.

2020: Stringent pandemic restrictions

In 2020, the Newsom administration enacted some of the country's most stringent pandemic restrictions.

January 2021: Low vaccination rates

In January 2021, California had one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, and had only used about 30% of the vaccines it had at its disposal.

January 2021: Unemployment benefits mismanagement

In January 2021, it was reported that Newsom's administration had mismanaged $11.4 billion by disbursing unemployment benefits to ineligible claimants, with another $19 billion in claims under investigation for fraud. Legitimate claimants faced delays.

February 2021: Newsom's approval rating declines

In February 2021, a poll found that Gavin Newsom's approval rate was down to 46%, with 48% disapproval, the highest of his tenure. The decline was attributed to public opinion of his management of the pandemic.

March 17, 2021: Extended Deadline for Recall Signatures

March 17, 2021, marked the extended deadline for submitting signatures for the recall petition against Gavin Newsom. By this time, 1,664,010 verified signatures had been submitted since November 2020.

May 2021: California's death rate

By May 2021, despite stringent pandemic restrictions, California had the 29th-highest death rate of all 50 states.

June 23, 2021: Reported false claims about wildfire prevention

On June 23, 2021, it was reported that Newsom and Cal Fire had falsely claimed that 90,000 acres of land at risk for wildfires had been treated in January 2020; the actual treated area was 11,399 acres.

2021: California's unemployment debt

By the summer of 2021, California owed $23 billion to the federal government for unemployment benefits paid out during the pandemic, which was 43% of all unemployment debt owed by 13 states to the federal government.

2021: Faced Recall Effort

In 2021, Gavin Newsom faced an unsuccessful recall effort due to controversies and frustration with his leadership during his governorship and the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021: Newsom's Recall Election

In 2021, Newsom had a "vulnerable" recall election. He stated he would not run for President in 2024 because of this event.

April 2022: Report found slow progress on fire prevention program

In April 2022, a report found that a program hailed in 2020 by the Newsom administration to fast-track environmental reviews on high-priority fire prevention projects had failed to make progress.

September 2022: Newsom proposes windfall profits tax for oil companies

In September 2022, Gavin Newsom proposed a windfall profits tax and penalty for oil companies after gas prices in California exceeded $6 per gallon, attributing this to corporate greed and price gouging.

2022: Newsom declares 'NIMBYism is destroying the state'

In 2022, Gavin Newsom declared that "NIMBYism is destroying the state," expressing his opposition to NIMBY (not-in-my-back-yard) sentiment related to housing.

2022: Newsom criticized for not supporting single-payer health care

In early 2022, Newsom faced criticism for walking back his support for universal health care and not supporting Assembly Bill 1400, which would have instituted single-payer health care in California. Critics alleged that his change in opinion was influenced by opposition from business interests.

January 2023: Homelessness in California hits record high

In January 2023, the number of homeless people in California reached a record high of over 181,000. Some believe California must build more than 2.5 million housing units to cope with this problem.

March 2023: Wine Companies Acknowledged as Silicon Valley Bank Clients

In March 2023, during the Silicon Valley Bank collapse, it was acknowledged that at least three of Gavin Newsom's wine companies, PlumpJack, Cade and Odette, were clients of the bank.

March 28, 2023: Newsom signs law targeting oil company profits

On March 28, 2023, Gavin Newsom signed a law in California that authorizes the California Energy Commission to set a profit threshold for oil companies, above which they would be assessed a financial penalty. The law also requires these companies to report additional profit data to state regulators and establishes a new oversight division within the California Energy Commission to investigate price gouging in the gasoline industry.

October 2023: Newsom vetoes bill to cap insulin co-pays

In October 2023, Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that aimed to cap co-pays for diabetic insulin at $35.

October 2023: Newsom vetoes housing assistance bills

In October 2023, Gavin Newsom vetoed several bills designed to expand access to housing assistance, including measures related to repurposing state-owned land, expanding eligibility for state housing assistance, and mandating Medi-Cal coverage for housing assistance.

2023: Discussed Dyslexia's Impact

In a 2023 interview, Gavin Newsom discussed how his dyslexia "forced me to find workarounds and think differently—skills I still use every day as governor."

August 2024: Newsom Warns Counties on Homeless Encampments

In August 2024, Gavin Newsom warned counties that if they did not remove their homeless encampments, their state funding would be cut off the next year. This warning came after he personally visited and cleared out a Los Angeles homeless encampment without notifying the city.

2024: Newsom Calls for Safeguarding California's Policies

After Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, Gavin Newsom called for California lawmakers to convene to safeguard California's policies from the upcoming Trump administration.