California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is urging state taxpayers to fund $33,000 for the governor’s self-portrait, despite the fact that former Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger personally covered the cost of his own portrait.
On January 9, Newsom unveiled the final budget proposal for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, which will be up for legislative consideration with possible revisions in May. Included in this budget is a $33,000 allocation from California’s general fund for the governor’s portrait, categorized as a “state project.” Interestingly, this request comes at a time when California is facing significant budget deficits, unlike his predecessors who did not use taxpayer dollars for their portraits.
Former Governor Jerry Brown, who served from 2011 to 2019, refrained from budgeting funds for a portrait, opting instead to utilize a 1984 painting that highlighted his earlier terms. Schwarzenegger, in office from 2003 to 2011, also chose to pay out of pocket for his portrait, painted by Gottfried Helnwein in 2014, rather than leverage taxpayer money.
Newsom’s office has not commented on this funding proposal. Under his governance, the state has repeatedly encountered substantial deficits, including forecasted shortfalls of $27 billion for 2023-2024, $55 billion for 2024-2025, and $15 billion for 2025-2026. California is bracing for a fourth consecutive deficit year in 2026-2027, with nonpartisan analysts suggesting the state’s budget issues may be even worse than initially estimated.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office projects an $18 billion deficit in the 2026-2027 budget, with expectations of a structural deficit lasting until 2029. Amid these fiscal challenges, Newsom has often portrayed his upbringing as one of hardship, referencing his mother’s relentless work ethic, though it’s known that his father managed the Getty family’s vast wealth.
William Newsom was acquainted with former Governor Brown and the Getty family, and after college, Gavin Newsom successfully founded a winery. Over the years, he has co-founded several businesses, including PlumpJack Associates LP, which started with PlumpJack Winery, launched when he was just 24. Before ascending to the mayoralty of San Francisco in 2004, he sold off stakes in various projects that had previously been successful. Recent estimations suggest his business ventures were valued at around $7 million just a couple of years back.
Additionally, Newsom and his wife, Jennifer, have made significant real estate investments, acquiring a $3.7 million home in Sacramento and another $9.1 million property in Kentfield, previously owned by Hyatt heir Daniel Pritzker. Overall, his net worth is approximated at around $30 million.
The budget for 2026-2027 is still open to revisions and is anticipated to be finalized later this summer.
