Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Republican businessman John Cox are in a match-up to replace outgoing California Gov. Jerry Brown.
Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Republican businessman John Cox are in a match-up to replace outgoing California Gov. Jerry Brown.

In summary

The political awakening of Gavin Newsom dates all the way back to childhood, while rival John Cox says he always wanted to have an impact.

The political awakenings of rivals Gavin Newsom and John Cox can be traced back decades—all the way to childhood in Newsom’s case, while Cox says he always wanted to have an impact. The two were the top vote-getters in the California primary and will face off in November for the governorship.

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Byrhonda LyonsInvestigative Reporter

byrhonda@calmatters.org

Byrhonda Lyons is a national award-winning video journalist for CalMatters. She creates compelling multimedia stories about how California policy affects people’s everyday lives. From the state’s mental...