Gavin Newsom stopped short of declaring victory until the numbers are final, but said he was excited to be a part of a crucial political year in California. “We’re very proud to be in a position to be the Democratic nominee and to work with the other Democratic nominees.” He lavished praise on Jerry Brown, telling stories about his father’s long relationship with the former governor and expressing his admiration. “I couldn’t be more proud to quasi-be on a ticket with Jerry Brown,” he said, adding, “We are proud he has decided to do this, and we’re all the beneficiaries of his commitment.”
He also praised his opponent, Janice Hahn, and said she was a worthy adversary in a mutually respectful campaign. “We ran a very positive campaign, we stayed focused on the issues and focused on tomorrow.”
He acknowledged that it will be a tough race in the fall (“we’re running against Meg Whitman’s check book”), and is already trying to paint Abel Maldonado as a Sacramento insider. “I’ll be running against a guy who’s been up in Sacramento for 12 years, a 12 years when we’ve seen college tuitions double.”