2003 San Francisco mayoral election
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The San Francisco mayoral election of 2003 occured on November 4, 2003. The incumbent, Willie Brown, was termed out of office and could not seek a third term. The general election included three top candidates including then Supervisor Gavin Newsom and then President of the Board of Supervisors, Matt Gonzalez and former Supervisor Angela Alioto. No candidate recived the required majority so the race went into a run-off of the two top candidates, which were Gavin Newsom and Matt Gonzalez. The run-off occured on December 9, 2003 where Gavin Newsom was elected mayor of San Francisco.
Municipal elections in California are officially non-partisan, though most candidates in San Francisco do receive funding and support from various political parties.
In 2003, then-Supervisor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, ran in a large field of challengers, including Board of Supervisors President Matt Gonzalez, Supervisor Tom Ammiano, former Supervisor Angela Alioto, city Treasurer Susan Leal, and former Police Chief Tony Ribera. Newsom and Gonzalez took first and second place, respectively, but neither won a majority, so the two advanced to a runoff election.
Newsom ran as a moderate against leftist/progressive Gonzalez, a member of the Green Party. The election was close, with Gonzalez leeading in the polls and winning the popular vote among ballots cast on election day, while Newsom had a larger lead on absentee ballots.
| Candidates | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gavin Newsom | 133,546 | 52.81 | |
| Matt Gonzalez | 119,329 | 47.19 | |
| Total | 252,875 | 100 | |
Newsom's approval rating has remained high throughout his first term; his action in support of same-sex marriage played a key role in garnering wide approval from the largely liberal city.