Exploring a run for governorship, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom spoke at a March 18 fund-raiser, hosted at the W Hotel in Downtown San Diego, to raise support for his potential run for governorship in 2010.

Addressing around 100 attendees of mostly supporters invited by email, preceding a local town hall meeting that night, Newsom said, “I’m down here tonight to have my twelfth town hall [meeting] in the last few weeks. We’ve been all over the state of California. We were just in Santa Monica the other night.”

The mayor spoke as someone both in and out of step with Californians.

“The realities are that some of the things that I stood for, some of the things I’ve advocated for, my belief system, my core values, are not necessarily in step with everybody in the State of California, and I recognize that. But a lot of the things that we’ve accomplished, a lot of things that I’ve been fighting for, a lot of things that I believe in, are in step with the vast majority of Californians,” Newsom said.

Since announcing his gubernatorial exploratory committee last July, Newsom has been touring the state to test the water.

For the majority of the event, Newsom spoke about his reforms as San Francisco mayor and his interest in bringing them to the state level, beginning with health care.

In 2007, Newsom signed the Health Choices Plan providing San Francisco residents with universal health care. According to the Newsom campaign, 65 percent of those previously uninsured in the city and county of San Francisco are now enrolled in the plan.

“We can do universal health care in the state of California,” Newsom said.

Newsom also promoted his city’s Preschool For All program. Started in 2004, the program initially provided preschool access to the city’s “neediest neighborhoods.” In 2008, the program extended to all San Francisco neighborhoods.

“We did it. We’re not talking about it. It’s affordable and available to everyone in our city,” Newsom said, also emphasizing arts education. Five years ago, city voters approved funds for sports, libraries, arts and music. Once the propositioned passed, the San Francisco Unified School District developed a master plan that included providing access to arts education for all students.

“We’re funding arts education, every child, every classroom, k thru 12 with comprehensive arts education,” Newsom said.

On the environment, Newsom listed many successes.

“Our green building standards are the most aggressive in the nation. Our solar program is the most aggressive in the nation. Our alternative fuel strategy is the most aggressive in the nation. Our recycling rates are the highest, with 70 percent, and we have the fourth lowest unemployment rate of the 48 counties. We’ve grown our population, but we’ve reduced our green-house gas emissions by 60 percent below 1990 levels, and we achieved that in September of last year,” Newsom said.

Throughout the event, Newsom emphasized how many of his most recent reforms have been implemented, even while the country is experiencing a recession.

“With all these constraints, with all these limitations, with a structural budget imbalance, don’t accept that it can’t be done. … We did that even in this economy; we can do that in the rest of the state,” Newsom said.

The issue of same-sex marriage also came up.

Newsom gained national attention in 2004 when he directed the San Francisco city-county clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

“A lot of folks have suggested that it was a terrible mistake and politically suicidal. But seriously, why get into politics, if you’re not going to stand up and fight for people?” Newsom responded to critics of the move.

Many attendees stayed after Newsome left the fund-raiser and socialized.

Bill Anderson, resident of University City, identifying as a progressive Democrat and “pro-gay,” isn’t sure whether he would vote for Newsom as governor.

“We have a lot of problems in this state, and I think what happened last year was fundamentally wrong. But it’s not the only problem we have. ... Having the governorship is more important than trying to make a point,” Anderson said.

Mel Merrill, resident of Hillcrest wanted more specifics.

“[Newsom] spoke at a relatively high level of abstraction. He didn’t get into any specific policies. You know we have a dreadful budget situation, and he didn’t say what he would do about that. … I guess we’ll just have to see what happens.”

Greg Bolien, resident of Downtown, was more optimistic.

“The things that he has been able to accomplish in San Francisco, and I understand that San Francisco is a very liberal city, but these are things that have always been that way, and other mayors have not been able to accomplish what he’s been able to accomplish and you know he took a big risk with the gay marriage thing,” said Bolien.