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 and businessman currently serving as the 40th governor of California since 2019. A Democrat, he previously served as the state's 49th Lieutenant Governor from 2011 to 2019. Prior to his statewide roles, Newsom was the 42nd mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011. His political career has been marked by his leadership roles in both city and state government.

Sections (5)

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

1985: Underwent Elbow Surgery

In late 1985, Gavin Newsom underwent elbow surgery, ending his aspirations to play varsity baseball at Santa Clara University.

February 2007: Newsom Seeks Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder

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

2018: Paradise Fire

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

January 2019: Threat to Withhold Infrastructure Funding and Lawsuit Against Huntington Beach

In late January 2019, during his first week in office, Gavin Newsom threatened to withhold state funding for infrastructure to communities that failed to take actions to alleviate California's housing shortage. He also announced that he would sue Huntington Beach for preventing the construction of affordable housing.

February 2019: State of the State Address on Central Valley Rail

In his February 2019 State of the State address, Gavin Newsom announced that work would continue on the 171-mile 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.

September 2019: Newsom Vetoes SB 1

In September 2019, Gavin Newsom vetoed SB 1, a bill that would have preserved environmental protections at the state level, set to be rolled back nationally under the Trump administration's environmental policy.

November 2019: Moratorium on Fracking Approvals

In November 2019, Gavin Newsom imposed a moratorium on approval of new hydraulic fracturing and steam-injected oil drilling in the state until permits could be reviewed.

January 2020: False claims on wildfire prevention

In January 2020, Gavin Newsom and Cal Fire falsely claimed that 90,000 acres (36,000 ha) of land at risk for wildfires had been treated with fuel breaks and prescribed burns; the actual treated area was 11,399 acres (4,613 ha), an overstatement of 690%.

February 2020: Newsom Administration Sues Federal Agencies

In February 2020, the Newsom administration sued federal agencies over rollbacks to protect imperiled fish in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta in 2019.

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 and issues related to homelessness and taxes.

March 4, 2020: State of Emergency Declared for COVID-19

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

March 22, 2020: State of Emergency Declared for Wildfires

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

April 2020: Resumption of Hydraulic Fracturing Permits

In April 2020, state agencies resumed issuing new hydraulic fracturing permits after a moratorium.

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, allowing petitioners to begin gathering the necessary signatures.

August 2020: Recall Signature Verification

By August 2020, 55,000 signatures for the recall petition against Newsom had been submitted and verified by the secretary of state.

October 2020: Recall Signature Submission

By October 2020, an additional 890 valid signatures were submitted for the recall petition against Gavin Newsom.

November 2020: The French Laundry Controversy

In November 2020, Newsom attended a party at The French Laundry restaurant despite public health measures, contributing to growing support for the recall effort. Between November 5 and December 7 over 442,000 new signatures were submitted and verified.

November 17, 2020: Initial Deadline for Recall Signatures

November 17, 2020, was the initial deadline for the recall petition signatures; however, it was later extended due to the pandemic.

2020: Comparison to Presidential Election Overturn Attempts

During the 2020 recall campaign, Gavin Newsom likened the recall effort to attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election.

2020: Enactment of Stringent Pandemic Restrictions

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

January 2021: Low Vaccination Rates

By January 2021, California had one of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country, having used only about 30% of its available vaccines.

January 2021: Unemployment Benefit Mismanagement

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

February 2021: Approval Rating Decline

A February 2021 poll found Gavin Newsom's approval rate had dropped to 46%, with a 48% disapproval rate, attributed to public opinion of his management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

March 17, 2021: Extended Deadline for Recall Signatures

March 17, 2021, marked the extended deadline for submitting signatures for the recall petition against Newsom, with over 1.6 million verified signatures submitted between November 2020 and this date.

May 2021: COVID-19 Death Rate Ranking

By May 2021, despite stringent pandemic restrictions, California had the 29th-highest COVID-19 death rate among the 50 states.

June 23, 2021: CapRadio Report on Wildfire Treatment Claims

On June 23, 2021, CapRadio reported that Gavin Newsom and Cal Fire had falsely claimed that 90,000 acres of land at risk for wildfires had been treated. The actual treated area was much smaller, and leaked emails showed Newsom's Cal Fire chief ordered the removal of the original statement.

September 14, 2021: Recall Election

On September 14, 2021, the recall election was held, and Gavin Newsom remained in office as only 38% of voters supported the recall.

2021: Unemployment Benefit 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 criticism for his behavior and leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to an unsuccessful recall effort.

April 2022: CapRadio Report on Environmental Reviews

In April 2022, CapRadio found 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.

August 2022: Veto of Senate Bill 57

In August 2022, Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 57, which sought to authorize jurisdictions to approve supervised injection sites.

September 2022: Proposed Windfall Profits Tax on Oil Companies

In September 2022, Gavin Newsom proposed a windfall profits tax and penalty for oil companies due to high gas prices exceeding $6 per gallon.

2022: Criticism for Walking Back on Universal Health Care Support

In early 2022, Gavin Newsom faced criticism for allegedly retracting his support for universal health care and for not backing CalCare (Assembly Bill 1400). Critics posited that business interests, having donated significantly to Newsom and his party, influenced his stance.

January 2023: Record Number of Homeless in California

In January 2023, the number of homeless people in California reached a record 181,000.

October 2023: Veto of Assembly Bill 1248

In October 2023, Gavin Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 1248, which sought to require independent redistricting.

October 2023: Veto of Bill to Cap Insulin Co-pays

In October 2023, Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have capped co-pays for insulin at $35.

October 2023: Veto of Bill to Ban Caste Discrimination

In October 2023, Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill to ban discrimination based on caste, deeming it unnecessary because existing California law already prohibits discrimination based on various characteristics.

October 2023: Veto of Bill on Unemployment Insurance for Striking Workers

In October 2023, Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill to provide unemployment insurance to striking workers, citing excess burden on the state's unemployment system.

October 2023: Veto of Housing Assistance Bills

In October 2023, Gavin Newsom vetoed several bills aimed at expanding access to housing assistance, including the California Social Housing Act and measures repurposing unused state-owned land and expanding eligibility for state housing aid.

August 2024: Warning to Counties Regarding Homeless Encampments

In August 2024, Gavin Newsom warned counties that did not remove their homeless encampments that their state funding would be cut off the next year.

September 2024: Veto of Assembly Bill 2724

In September 2024, Gavin Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 2724, which sought to require schools to ensure students receive information on how to pre-register to vote.

2024: Veto of SB 1299

In 2024, Gavin Newsom vetoed SB 1299, which would have required workers' comp judges to presume farmworkers who claim heat illness developed it at work. Newsom also vetoed legislation seeking to extend unemployment benefits to undocumented workers.

April 2025: Newsom's comment on deportation

In April 2025, Newsom called the illegal deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador "the distraction of the day" set up by the Trump administration, drawing criticism from U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen.

June 2025: Protests and Federal Intervention in Los Angeles

In June 2025, protests broke out in Los Angeles after federal immigration raids, leading President Trump to deploy National Guard troops and U.S. Marines. Newsom objected and on June 9, 2025, California, led by Newsom, filed a federal lawsuit, Newsom v. Trump, challenging the legality of the troop deployment.

September 2025: Veto of Assembly Bill 1840

In September 2025, Gavin Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 1840 which sought to prohibit the disqualification of applicants to California Housing Finance Agency home purchase assistance programs based solely on their immigration status.

2025: Restriction of Medi-Cal Enrollment & Signing of Senate Bill 41

In 2025, Gavin Newsom signed a budget that restricted new enrollment of undocumented immigrants in Medi-Cal. Gavin Newsom also signed the California Senate Bill 41 (2025) but vetoed other measures to regulate pharmacy benefit managers.