Gavin Newsom, a former Lieutenant Governor and Mayor of San Francisco, is now California's 40th governor. Newsom took the oath of office today in Sacramento.
In a speech following the swearing-in, Newsom credited his predecessor, Jerry Brown, for laying a "rock-solid" foundation for the state, then moved on to his vision for the future. Newsom says ending the state's housing crisis is a priority of his new administration. “In our home, no one should live in constant fear of eviction or spend their whole paycheck to keep a roof overhead. We will launch a Marshall Plan for affordable housing and lift up the fight against homelessness from a local matter to a state-wide mission."
Newsom also said he wants to end privately-owned prisons in the state of California, will continue to support womens' right to choose, and took the Trump administration, and the president by name, to task for its policies supporting a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.
Newsom's remarks were often interrupted by laughter from the audience, and from the governor himself, as Newsom's two-year-old son wandered up onto the stage during the address and resisted attempts by First Partner Jennifer Seibel Newsom to come back to where the family was seated.