Jennifer Siebel Newsom leans in to power as California’s first partner
Hosting the annual California Hall of Fame ceremony on a December evening, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wife delightedly took charge of the proceedings while her husband handed out the medals to a class of extraordinary Californians.
“Now, of course, with a title like first partner, I’m not afraid to break the mold,” she told the crowd, referring to her decision to forgo the traditional moniker of “first lady.”
“And so to help me with this great task, I’ve enlisted my dear hubby, Mr. Governor, to be our Vanna White for the evening.”
It was not the first time Siebel Newsom grabbed the spotlight from the governor during his first year in office.
Unlike her predecessor, Anne Gust Brown, who was the top adviser to former Gov. Jerry Brown but largely avoided public appearances, Siebel Newsom has carved a path separate yet complementary to her husband’s work.
While taking ownership of an agenda focused on pay equity and other gender issues, she has promoted the Newsom administration’s “California for All” theme in even her most ceremonial duties. On the red carpet for the Hall of Fame ceremony, Siebel Newsom made sure to note that half the inductees she selected were women — only the second time in the hall’s 13 years that had happened. Read more >>>