Newsom quietly bringing in cash for governor run
By: Brent Begin
Examiner Staff Writer
December 22, 2008
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| Mayor Gavin Newsom's exploratory committee has collected nearly $600,000 toward a gubernatorial run, according to campaign finance reports. (Getty Images) |
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has received some sizeable cash presents this holiday season to help him with his potential 2010 run for California governor.
The mayor’s exploratory committee for governor has quietly built a sizeable war chest — $590,000 has been reported, according to preliminary filings.
Much of the money comes from developers and other traditional supporters, but a good chunk also comes from donors supportive of Newsom’s battle for same-sex marriage.
William Resnick, a major supporter of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, chipped in $10,000 to the campaign this month, as did San Francisco gay rights activist James Hormel.
Loyal friends including Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, designer Domitilla Getty and San Francisco writer Robert Mailer Anderson have all contributed the maximum $24,100 allowed.
Prominent developers have made a significant impact, with Boston Properties — which owns, manages and develops office properties — and the management group for the high rise building at 222 2nd St. both spending thousands of
dollars.
“He has traditional supporters and he has new supporters,” Newsom’s political advisor Eric Jaye said.
Newsom’s bid for governor picked up steam last week when Sen. Dianne Feinstein was chosen to chair the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee.
Newsom raised more than $2 million in his latest bid for re-election in 2007, when he faced no substantial challengers, but he will need much more than that to take on a statewide campaign with more than a handful of well-known potential candidates.
For his re-election bid in 2006, Republican Schwarzenegger raised $43 million when he faced a challenge from Democratic state Treasurer Phil Angelides.
Jerry Brown, who is widely believed to be running for a third term at the top post, has amassed about $1.75 million for his ambiguously titled Jerry Brown 2010 campaign, according to the latest filings.
Newsom is considered a rising star in the Democratic Party, although his support for gay marriage has cost the 41-year-old mayor some political capital.
University of San Francisco political science professor Corey Cook said whoever wins the race will have a tough job ahead of them. Though the election is less than two years away, the state’s multi-billion dollar budget deficit is only getting worse, said Cook.
“I don’t know why anyone would want to step into this mess,” he said.
