Jul 11, 2008  |  By: CHRIS JOHNSON  | COMMENTS     

Many of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom’s gay supporters are wishing him success in his ambition for higher office following his announcement last week that he has taken the first steps to run in California’s 2010 gubernatorial election.

Newsom, who’s straight, announced on July 1 that he filed papers to start an exploratory committee, the first required step in running for governor.

The San Francisco mayor, a Democrat, is known for directing his city to issue marriage licenses to gay couples in February 2004. The availability of licenses to same-sex couples was short-lived, however, as the California Supreme Court halted San Francisco’s actions in March 2004 and ruled in August 2004 that Newsom acted illegally in issuing the licenses.

But Newsom’s actions spurred same-sex marriage supporters to file a lawsuit, leading to the repeal of the statewide ban on same-sex marriage in May.

Mark Leno, a gay lawmaker who represents San Francisco in California’s General Assembly, said Newsom is “clearly in a leadership position” for people who are concerned with gay issues.

The 2008 high court ruling vindicated Newsom’s actions in 2004, Leno said. The lawmaker argued that the Supreme Court would not have made its 2008 decision had Newsom not gotten the ball rolling.

“Without a doubt, there would not have been a court case to make its way to the Supreme Court had he not challenged the state law by breaking it,” he said.

Leno said Newsom’s actions in 2004 helped to grow favorable attitudes toward same-sex marriage in California.

“Because of his actions, human faces were put on the issue and the extraordinary public expression of joy and excitement that was seen by millions … really changed the debate overnight,” Leno said.

Dan Pinello, a gay City University of New York government professor, said Newsom is “an unadulterated hero” in the San Francisco gay community and “clearly set for some higher political office.”

Pinello said when he was conducting interviews for his book, “America’s Struggle for Same Sex Marriage,” which examines Newsom’s actions in 2004, he found that virtually every political expert thought Newsom was poised to take higher office.

Stuart Gaffney, one of the plaintiffs who brought the marriage case to the California high court, said Newsom “has stood for GLBT inclusion and equality at the highest level.”

Gaffney married his partner, John Lewis, when San Francisco issued marriage licenses to gay couples in 2004 and again in 2008 after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage.

Newsom was unavailable for an interview this week.

By setting up an exploratory committee, Newsom has set the bar for other top-tier candidates who also support same-sex marriage to enter the race for governor, Gaffney said.

“That will be a great leap forward for California — to finally have a governor who supports all Californians being treated will full equality regardless of sexual orientation,” he said.

But Newsom’s actions in 2004 were met with hostility even from some Democrats. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) blamed the mayor’s decision for President Bush’s electoral victory in the same year. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that current Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2004 did not want to have his picture taken with Newsom, although the Obama campaign denies this report.

Dan Schnur, a straight California-based Republican analyst, who is not affiliated with any campaign, said Newsom’s support for same-sex marriage is a “double-edged sword” for the candidate. While Newsom might be on the defensive regarding his 2004 actions in the general election, the name recognition he gained will be a boon to him in the Democratic primary, Schnur said.

“Given what looks to be a very crowded primary field, this is an issue that can give him a significant leg up in terms of statewide name recognition and support,” Schnur said.

Newsom could have some stiff competition in the primary. Other candidates who could throw their hats into the race include Jerry Brown, a former governor and attorney general for California, and Antonio Villaraigosa, the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles.

Defeating those candidates and winning in the general election is expected to cost a small fortune. Leno said a candidate would need $30 million to succeed in the gubernatorial race. The Associated Press reports that Newsom already has $250,000 left over from his 2007 mayoral campaign.

Pinello said Newsom has “hitched his political star” to the issue of same-sex marriage and ...