Gavin Newsom’s Accomplishments in California

Governor Gavin Newsom has overseen a wide range of progressive accomplishments in California, positioning the state as a national leader on many fronts. Below is a comprehensive list of Newsom’s key successes on critical issues ahead of his 2028 presidential run, with sources included for verification.

Voting Rights and Democracy

Universal Vote-by-Mail: Made California one of the easiest states to vote in by signing legislation to mail every active registered voter a ballot for all future elections¹. This step, first tried during the pandemic, led to record voter participation and was made permanent under Newsom’s watch¹.
Expanded Voter Access: Enacted multiple laws to expand voting options and transparency, including measures to improve ballot drop boxes, enhance ballot tracking, and strengthen election integrity and campaign finance disclosure².
Restored Voting Rights: Supported and celebrated the restoration of voting rights to citizens with past felony convictions. Newsom backed Proposition 17 (approved by voters in 2020), which amended the state constitution to allow people on parole to vote³.
Protecting Elections from Interference: Newsom signed laws to shield California’s elections from improper influence, criminalizing attempts to entice voter turnout with cash or prizes and paving the way for public financing of political campaigns⁴.

Climate Change and Environmental Leadership

Ambitious Climate Targets: Codified a legally binding target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 and 90% clean electricity by 2035⁴. In 2022, Newsom signed a sweeping climate package with a $54 billion climate budget⁴.
Phasing Out Fossil Fuels: Ordered a halt on new fracking permits by 2024 and directed an end to oil extraction by 2045⁵. Established 3,200-foot health and safety buffer zones near oil wells.
Clean Cars Revolution: California became the first government to require 100% of new car sales to be zero-emission by 2035⁶. Newsom backed a $10 billion investment in EV infrastructure.
Clean Energy and Air Quality: Pushed California toward 100% clean electricity by 2045, cut air pollution by 60%, and reduced state oil consumption by 91%⁴.
Conservation and Resilience: Enacted the 30×30 law to conserve 30% of land and coastal waters by 2030⁷⁸.

Cost of Living and Economic Relief

Middle Class Tax Refund: Delivered $9.5 billion in tax rebates to 23 million Californians in 2022⁹.
Eviction Protections: Froze evictions and funded 100% rent coverage for low-income renters impacted by COVID¹⁰¹¹.
Project Homekey: Converted hotels/motels into permanent supportive housing, creating 12,500 units¹².
Small Business Relief: Distributed $4 billion in COVID relief grants to over 180,000 businesses¹³.

Health Insurance and Healthcare Access

Universal Coverage: Extended full Medi-Cal coverage to all low-income residents, regardless of immigration status, making California among the first states to achieve near-universal coverage¹⁴.
Affordable Insulin: Through CalRx, launched state-produced insulin at $30 per vial, drastically cutting costs for diabetics¹⁵.

Leadership in Technology, STEM, and AI

Executive Order on AI: Issued a first-in-the-nation AI executive order for ethical and transparent use in state government¹⁶.
Tech Partnerships for Education: Partnered with Google, Microsoft, and others to integrate AI training and curriculum in schools and colleges¹⁷.

COVID-19 Pandemic Response

Early Lockdown: California was the first state to issue a stay-at-home order in March 2020¹⁸.
Vaccination Rollout: Reached over 80% vaccination rate with mass vaccine sites.
Small Business and Housing Support: Directed billions in relief grants and expanded homelessness programs.

Vaccines and Children’s Health

School Vaccine Oversight: Passed SB 276 & 714 to eliminate fraudulent vaccine exemptions¹⁹.
Universal School Meals: California became the first state to offer free school meals to all public school students²⁰.

Education Achievements

Universal Transitional Kindergarten: Launched free TK for all 4-year-olds by 2025²¹²².
Education Funding: Delivered record-high education budgets, increasing per-pupil spending and boosting college access²³.

Economic Growth

#4 Global Economy: California surpassed Japan to become the 4th largest economy in the world by GDP²³.

Other Progressive Policies

Reproductive Rights: Signed a constitutional amendment enshrining abortion and contraception rights in California²⁴.
Gun Safety: Signed over 40 gun safety bills and proposed a 28th Amendment for national gun reform²⁵²⁶.
Immigrant Rights: Expanded legal aid and protections for undocumented immigrants and barred immigration enforcement at schools and hospitals without a warrant²⁷.