Newsom Is 2nd Highest Paid Governor, Report Says: Is It Too Much?

CALIFORNIA — Gov. Gavin Newsom was paid $202,000 in 2020, making him the second highest-grossing governor in the country, according to a Forbes report.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — who made $225,000 last year — took the top slot as the United State's highest-paid governor.

The two Democrats, like most politicians, have faced a whirlwind term while dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. But unlike many of their other gubernatorial peers, the two well-paid governors have each faced calls for removal.

Both governors have gained national headlines, with Newsom confronting an all but certain recall election and Cuomo facing accusations for both making unwanted advances on women and covering up coronavirus nursing-home deaths. The pair have also been heavily criticized for their COVID-19 response.

At least 10 women have accused the New York governor of making unwanted physical advances and making inappropriate comments, according to multiple reports.

Meanwhile, the bulk of scandal accusations Newsom has faced have been centered around his highly publicized appearance at a dinner party at French Laundry in Napa. The governor sat down to dinner with at least 12 lobbyists and top health brass in November during the same week he told Californians to stay home amid a surge in virus cases.

SEE ALSO: Caitlyn Jenner Announces Run For California Governor

In an interview with KQED, Newsom addressed the French Laundry incident. "That's [one of] those things you can never get back. And, you know, I owned up to that. And no one hid from that. And that was a mistake. Crystal clear," he told the Bay Area news station last month.

While there were already calls to oust the Golden State governor before the pandemic upended life in California, the effort really began to pick up steam following his infamous winter outing and a series of lockdowns that drew criticism from business owners.

He has also been hit by the fallout from a multibillion-dollar fraud scandal at the state unemployment agency.

What's more, Newsom has been reluctant to declare a statewide drought emergency despite the fact that the state recently entered a second year of drought conditions. While he did declare a regional emergency in Northern California this week, some speculate he has been hesitant to declare a statewide emergency to appease voters.

TAKE OUR PATCH SURVEY: DOES NEWSOM MAKE TOO MUCH?

While the California Secretary of State's Office is still in the process of verifying petition signatures to trigger a gubernatorial election, several Republican contenders recently announced their candidacy — including reality personality and Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner.

Jenner, who reemerged as a transgender woman in 2015, announced Friday that she would run for governor. In her statement, she briefly outlined her running platform, which included cutting taxes, repairing the economy and fighting California's Democratic-dominated politics.

If a majority says "no" to ousting Newsom, he will remain in office. If a majority votes to remove him, then whoever among the candidates gets the most votes becomes California governor. With dozens of names expected on the ballot, a winner would likely get less than 50 percent of the votes.

A recent survey published by the Public Policy Institue of California found that 56 percent of its respondents said they would vote to keep Newsom, while 40 percent said they would vote to remove him.

In a recent non-scientific survey, Patch asked readers to share their thoughts about the recall. Out of a pool of 14,997 respondents, 51.7 percent voted "yes" on whether they would support a recall election for Newsom, 47.4 percent said they wouldn't support it and 1.2 percent said they were not sure.

The survey, which appeared in questionnaire form last month on Patch, was meant not to be a scientific poll but only to give a broad idea of public sentiment.

If an election were held today, 52.3 percent of respondents said they would personally vote to oust Newsom and 47.7 percent said they would vote to keep him in office.

"Newsom was way too conservative with the reopening of public schools; he should've mandated they open," one participant wrote. "He also was way too strict with youth sports."

Several wrote "rules for thee and not for me," in a blatant reference to Newsom's appearance at French Laundry. And several more said it's better to keep "the devil we know."

"It depends on who will replace him. Right now he is the devil we know," a participant wrote. "I am definitely hoping someone else better comes along because his policies as the pandemic went on became more about control than science. Our kids are hurting and his actions don't reflect the sentiments of the people who voted for him."

Another simply wrote: the "only flaw was that dinner party."

READ MORE: Would You Vote To Recall Gov. Newsom? Patch Readers Weigh In