California Governor Gavin Newsom and Oregon Governor Kate Brown are both prominent Democratic leaders who have faced various challenges and controversies during their terms. But are they related by blood or marriage? The answer is no, but they do share some connections with other influential figures in the political and business spheres. Here is a brief overview of the surprising truth about the governors’ family ties.
The Newsom-Brown-Pelosi-Getty Saga
Newsom and Brown are not directly related, but they are both part of a complex web of relationships that involves four San Francisco families: the Newsoms, the Browns, the Pelosis and the Gettys. These families have been intertwined by politics, business, culture and friendship for decades.
The saga began in the 1930s, when Newsom’s grandfather, William Newsom, a businessman and investor, became a close friend and supporter of Pat Brown, who later became governor of California from 1959 to 1967. Pat Brown’s son, Jerry Brown, also served as governor of California for two terms from 1975 to 1983 and again from 2011 to 2019. Jerry Brown is the one who appointed Newsom as a member of the California State Board of Equalization in 1997, launching his political career.
Another branch of the saga involves the Pelosis, a prominent Italian-American family in San Francisco. John Pelosi, a businessman and partner of William Newsom, had two sons who married into influential families. Paul Pelosi married Nancy D’Alesandro, who became the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2007 and again in 2019. Ron Pelosi married Barbara Newsom, William Newsom’s daughter and Gavin Newsom’s aunt. Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Newsom are no longer related by marriage, as Ron and Barbara divorced in 1977.
The fourth family in the saga is the Getty family, one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in America. J. Paul Getty was an oil tycoon who founded Getty Oil and amassed a fortune of billions of dollars. His son, Gordon Getty, inherited a large portion of his wealth and became a philanthropist and composer. Gordon Getty was also a family friend and investor of William Newsom, helping him establish his business empire. Gordon Getty’s wife, Ann Getty, is a cousin of Nancy Pelosi.
Gavin Newsom is also connected to the Getty family through his father, William Newsom II, who was a lawyer and judge. William Newsom II served as a trustee for Gordon Getty’s children and managed their finances. He also helped Gavin Newsom start his own business ventures in the hospitality industry with Gordon Getty’s backing.
The Klamath River Agreement
Despite not being related, Newsom and Brown have worked together on some issues that affect both California and Oregon. One of the most notable examples is the Klamath River agreement, which was announced in November 2020.
The Klamath River is a major river that flows through both states and is home to several species of fish, including salmon. The river has been plagued by environmental problems, such as droughts, algae blooms, fish kills and water quality issues. These problems have also affected the livelihoods and cultures of several Native American tribes that depend on the river for fishing and ceremonial purposes.
The Klamath River agreement is an effort to restore the health and vitality of the river by removing four hydroelectric dams that have been blocking fish migration and altering water flows for decades. The agreement involves multiple parties, including Newsom and Brown as governors, PacifiCorp as the owner of the dams, Berkshire Hathaway Energy as PacifiCorp’s parent company, and the Yurok and Karuk tribes as the main stakeholders.
The agreement aims to advance the largest dam removal project in U.S. history and create a new model for cooperation among different interests. The agreement also seeks to address the historical injustices and environmental damages that have been inflicted on the tribes and their ancestral lands.
Newsom and Brown praised the agreement as a historic milestone for restoring the Klamath River and renewing tribal communities and cultures. They also expressed their commitment to working together to ensure the successful implementation of the agreement.
Conclusion
Gavin Newsom and Kate Brown are not related by blood or marriage, but they do share some connections with other influential families in San Francisco politics and business. They also share some common goals and challenges as governors of neighboring states that face similar issues such as climate change, wildfires, COVID-19 and social justice. They have demonstrated their willingness to collaborate on some matters that benefit both states and their residents, such as the Klamath River agreement. However, they may also have some differences or disagreements on other issues that require negotiation or compromise.
