Mayor of San Francisco
More LessGavin Newsom, 41, is the youngest San Francisco mayor in over a century.
After only 36 days as mayor, Newsom gained worldwide attention when he directed city officials to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
This bold move set the tone for Newsom's first term. Under his energetic leadership, the economy grew and jobs were created. He brought universal health care to all of the city’s uninsured residents. The city became a center for biotech and clean tech. And Newsom aggressively pursued local solutions to global climate change.
In 2007, Newsom was re-elected with over 73% of the vote. Since then he has built upon the success of his first term, launching new environmental initiatives and a comprehensive strategy to transform the city’s most troubled neighborhood into a life sciences, digital media, and clean tech center.
Newsom’s commitment to combating homelessness has never waned. As mayor, he has moved 7,000 homeless individuals off the street, and his volunteer initiative, Project Homeless Connect – now imitated in over 130 cities – has attracted over 20,000 San Franciscans who give their time to help the homeless.
