Historically, San Franciscans have not valued street trees as much as other communities have.

Matt Gonzalez also decided not to challenge Newsom. Lieutenant Governor

In April 2009 Newsom announced his intention to run for Governor of California in the 2010 Election. He later worked for real estate firm Shorenstein & Company where he worked as an assistant and performed a range of jobs that included cleaning bathrooms and removing asbestos.

Newsom drew voter attention with his Care Not Cash program designed to move homeless people into city-assisted care. Newsom was re-elected in 2007 with 72 percent of the vote. In 1996 San Francisco mayor Willie Brown appointed Newsom to serve on the city's Parking and Traffic Commission and then as a member of the Board of Supervisors the following year.