Newsom speaks after winning reelection for California’s governor Transcript

Thank you all for sticking around, and let me express my deep gratitude to people in the state of California. I’m humbled. This I my third election in four years and I’m deeply humbled by the results. Deeply humbled to have the privilege extending my term as governor of the state of California. But I’m also deeply motivated and mindful of all the energy in this room, particularly the affirmative step the state of California took, the people of California took in unambiguous terms to assert our values and to go on the offense and to state overwhelmingly that we are a freedom state, that we support the rights of women and girls’ reproductive care.

(00:55)
Reproductive rights now are enshrined in the constitution of the state of California. Contraceptive rights enshrined in the constitution of the state of California. Privacy is enshrined. That’s a point of pride and it’s a point of principle and it’s a point of contrast at a time of such mixed results all across this country. The dust will settle on those results. But one thing that is settled here today is who we are as a state and what we hold dear in terms of our values. Freedom, belief in family.

(01:30)
And I’m so honored and proud to be here with my four kids that like all of our children and my remarkable wife, it’s been hard. The last few years have been difficult for all of us. The stacking of stress, all the anxiety, the fear that all of us have had in terms of our professional and personal lives. What’s going on in this country, the deep polarization in this country. And no one feels that more than our kids. And so it’s a point of pride being here with them as well, particularly with so many remarkable leaders that were here.

(02:12)
The idea that we’re living in a society where our kids and grandkids potentially may not experience the rights and privileges and liberties that so many of us have taken for granted it’s not lost on any of us. And that’s why I want to commend the entire coalition of prop one. I want to commend the protem, Tony Atkins. I want to commend the speaker Anthony Rendon too, Jody Hicks and her team. It was a remarkable effort and I was saying, Jody, just a moment ago, and to all of you how proud I am that we affirmed clearly with conviction that we are a true freedom state, that we embrace the life of women and girls.

(02:59)
And I made the point that it is a point of contrast with the uncertainty that we’re currently experiencing as it relates to the national mood. But in California, we have asserted ourselves with clarity and conviction as only California can. And it’s a point of pride as well because we recognize we have a lot more work to do. And I was talking about a little humility, having the opportunity to represent the people of this state. 40 million Americans strong, the most diverse state in the world’s most diverse democracy, where the issues of diversity are being challenged in states large and small, rights that we’ve come all to enjoy are on the line in states large and small. We have governors that won their reelection tonight in other states that are banning books, that are banning speech, that are banning abortion. And here we are in California moving in a completely different direction. That’s a deep point of pride and it’s with that passion that I bring to this second term a resolve to do more to advance that cause of freedom and fairness. And I say fairness in this context.

(04:21)
We’re living in a society where not everybody’s being treated fairly. There’s that zest for demonization coming from the other side. These red states where there’s a cruelty talking down to people, bullying people, making them feel lesser. That cruelty is extended by flying migrants to an island and celebrating that as some fleeting victory at others’ expense. We are mindful of the moment we’re in our politics. And so we have a responsibility as Californians to do more about what we did tonight to continue to assert our values, which we hold dear. We believe they’re American values, certainly California values. The dream is predicated on all of us living and advancing together across every conceivable difference. Used to be said, divorce is not an option, folks. We’re all going to experience a future. So the question is how we sort of define that future, where we’re all included.

(05:25)
We don’t talk down to people, we don’t talk past people. And so again, with pride, with just admiration to the people of the state of California. And in closing again to my remarkable family, this guy was just a few years ago, I was holding him. You had your pacifier. Don’t be angry with me just four years ago. They grew up so fast. And I was talking about family a moment ago, and I’ll close on this. Look, I’ve said this before, I’ll keep saying it. You’re going to hear a lot more about it. We’re all on this journey for belonging. We all need to love and be loved.

(06:05)
And I think as we turn the page on this campaign, and I hope we turn the page on this polarization in our national discourse, once the dust settles with all of these national elections, we can all start to reconcile those differences and all start to focus on these universal values, this journey for recognition, this dignity deficit that some have described, this moment where people don’t feel they’re being seen and don’t feel they’re being heard. We all have a responsibility to do a little bit more to meet people where they are and to dig a little deeper in terms of building other people up. And that’s my commitment to the people of the state of California this evening with the spirit of my family beside me looking at this larger family, California, where the future we say proudly happens first. Thank you very much, California.