Newsom Out of California Governor Race

By Emily Cadei | October 30, 2009 7:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom dropped out of the California governor's race Friday evening, saying he was not able to commit the time need to run a competitive campaign.

His withdrawal clears the field for state Attorney General and former Gov. Jerry Brown, who already had a strong lead over Newsom in the latest polls.

The young mayor had struggled to gain traction against Brown early on, despite the celebrity he gained from his high profile role in the gay marriage fight -- allowing marriages to take place in San Francisco in a challenge to state law. Newsom has also lagged Brown in fundraising.

"This is not an easy decision," Newsom said in a statement. "But it is one made with the best intentions for my wife, my daughter, the residents of the city and county of San Francisco, and California Democrats."

Attention now shifts entirely onto the Republican field, where a three-way nomination battle is brewing between former E-Bay CEO Meg Whitman, state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, and former U.S. Rep. Tom Campbell. Whitman has an early lead in polls, but around half the GOP electorate remains undecided.

CQ Politics rates the general election contest Leans Democratic.

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