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Despite Scandal,
Gay-Friendly S.F. Mayor Still Popular and Electable

Despite Scandal,
Gay-Friendly S.F. Mayor Still Popular and Electable

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Eight months after admitting he had a drinking problem and an affair with a close aide's wife, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom stands poised to win his second term without breaking a sweat. In any other city, Newsom's personal problems could easily have ended his political career. But in San Francisco they weren't enough even to attract a serious challenger. When hundreds of the city's left-wing power brokers met in June to nominate a candidate, no one could be persuaded to run against Newsom, who is best-known for opening City Hall to same-sex weddings six weeks into his first term.

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Eight months after admitting he had a drinking problem and an affair with a close aide's wife, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom stands poised to win his second term without breaking a sweat.

In any other city, Newsom's personal problems could easily have ended his political career. But in San Francisco they weren't enough even to attract a serious challenger.

When hundreds of the city's left-wing power brokers met in June to nominate a candidate, no one could be persuaded to run against Newsom, who is best-known for opening City Hall to same-sex weddings six weeks into his first term.

''The things that Newsom has done wrong haven't really affected the greater city,'' said political analyst David Latterman, noting that the mayor's approval ratings have consistently hovered around 70%. ''The fact is, he is popular. He is not going to lose.''

It's not that Newsom doesn't have competition on the ballot. In fact, there are 11 challengers. But none is considered a credible rival.

They include a sex club owner, a homeless taxi driver, a nudist rights advocate, and videographer Josh Wolf, who spent a record-setting 226 days behind bars for refusing to give federal investigators footage of a chaotic 2005 street protest.

The city's leading alternative newspaper, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, said the candidates were ''not exactly a varsity squad,'' then endorsed Quintin Mecke, a community activist making his first bid for elective office.

The last time a San Francisco mayor was positioned for such an easy victory was 1983, when Dianne Feinstein ran without a serious opponent. She is now California's senior U.S. senator.

Newsom insists he's not taking anything for granted and has maintained an active campaign schedule. But he expects to spend less than $2 million on his reelection, not even a third of what he spent four years ago.

Election officials predict a record low turnout, in part because the district attorney and sheriff are also facing only token opposition.

When his personal problems emerged at the beginning of the year, few observers would have predicted a cakewalk for Newsom, who at 36 became the city's youngest mayor in more than a century after beating a fellow city supervisor in a tighter-than-expected runoff.

''This was geared up to be a different race than it's turned out to be,'' the mayor said in an interview at his cavernous campaign headquarters, which was almost empty.

Newsom, an entrepreneur who made a small fortune selling wine and running restaurants, was considered conservative by San Francisco standards when he was elected in December 2003. In that race, he championed a get-tough approach to panhandlers and the city's chronic homeless problem.

The mayor, who turned 40 last month, quickly disarmed many of his left-wing critics -- and angered some Democratic Party elders -- when he unilaterally directed the city to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, a violation of California law.

Over four weeks in early 2004, more than 4,000 couples tied the knot before the courts intervened and nullified the unions.

The mayor solidified his liberal credentials over the next year when he appointed women to lead the police and fire departments, joined hotel workers on the picket line, expanded a children's health insurance program to cover young adults, and showed up at murder scenes in poor neighborhoods.

But accusations started mounting last year that he had become disengaged from the workings of city government. His setbacks included a decision by the San Francisco 49ers to move the football team south to Santa Clara. And supervisors twice voted to override the mayor's veto of a measure to conduct more police foot patrols to curb the spiraling murder rate.

Even Newsom's allies wondered whether the mayor, who once rode the cable cars in a baseball cap to get a tourist's-eye view of the city, still had his heart in the job.

Then, on January 31, came the revelation that the chairman of his reelection campaign had resigned after learning the mayor had an affair with his wife, a city employee.

The mayor stood before television cameras the next day and apologized for his ''lapse in judgment.''

A week later, he announced he was seeking counseling for an alcohol problem, a tough proposition for someone who co-owns two wineries.

''I'm glad I stopped. It was the right thing. It's penance time, it's clarity, it's refocusing, recalculating,'' he said.

Newsom said he was surprised how quickly San Franciscans seemed to forgive and forget. He said he used to refer to the affair while campaigning among small groups -- ''I thought it was the elephant in the room and I had to bring it up'' -- until a donor sternly told him to stop talking about it.

''People really care so much more about today and tomorrow than they do yesterday,'' he said. ''The capacity for renewal, or to re-engage, is always there, and for me, it's a very humbling and reinforcing thing.'' (Lisa Leff, AP)

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