SF Mayor Exploring Bid For Governor

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is exploring a bid for governor of California in 2010, the Los Angeles Times reports. Arnold Schwarzenegger is prevented from running again by term limits, making for the state's first open governor's race in 12 years. Newsom has made a name for himself as a high-profile champion of issues like same-sex marriage and health care.

"We're about civil rights and equal rights, you better believe it. I'm proud of that; I'm not going to hide from that," Newsom, 40, said after signing papers to kick off his campaign committee yesterday. "Let's have a conversation about your kids and what you want this state to look like 5, 10 years from now," he added. (More Gavin Newsom stories.)