Gavin Newsom topped the list of candidates for mayor of San Francisco with 41 percent of the votes, according to election results. And while San Franciscans will not know who will run the city until the Dec. 9 runoff election between Newsom and Matt Gonzalez, Newsom's supporters stand strong in their belief in their candidate.

Newsom held his celebration party in the Avalon Ballroom of the Regency Hotel on Van Ness and Sutter. As preliminary results displayed on the big screen, the crowd cheered at the results showing Newsom atop the list of candidates.

Sean Martinfield has been campaigning for Newsom by participating in neighborhood walks, phone campaigning and sending out loads of mailers. He expected Newsom to gain 50 percent of the vote which would have prevented a runoff.

"I blame it on low-voter turnout, the city is not taking responsibilty," Martinfield said. "It's disheartening that a small number of people are making huge decisions for the city."

He made it clear that they would work twice as hard to really get the message out for the runoff election.

Rufino De Leon Jr., 35, an employee of SF State, has backed Newsom from the start. "He is able to stand up for what he believes in, as difficult as the issues may be," said De Leon Jr. "The other candidates are just tiptoeing around the issues and trying to stay in the middle. He is courageous enough to take on the hard issues."

Newsom built his campaign platform on the issues of housing, business and workforce literacy. Housing in the "crown jewel," as Newsom calls San Francisco, has proven to be a critical issue. The Bay Area is one of the most sought-after areas to live in the whole world. Part of Newsom's solution is to create business incentives.

"There is a need in San Francisco to align the private, public and nonprofit sectors and to incentivise the development of housing," Newsom said. "This should target the working families and middle- to lower-class families that are desperate to live and work in San Francisco, not just work here."

As an owner of 12 small business that have generated 700 jobs, Newsom said he has an insider's perspective on the struggles small businesses face. Newsom argues that his experience helps him understand what they need from the public sector.

"The businesses are what define the diversity of this city," he said. As mayor, Newsom said he will implement a 16-point small-business plan that will target women, minorities and local business entities.

Tuan Nguyen, a precinct captain for the Newsom campaign, described today as being an especially crazy day for campaign workers. Acoording to Nguyen much of the volunteers had taken the day of work to "give it all up for Gavin."

"I don't think I would have gone into politics if it wasn't for Gavin," said Nguyen, a graduate from the BECA department at SF State. "He has ideas, enthusiasm and a vision for the city that no other candidate does."

Newsom wants to focus on literacy. Growing up dyslexic and having to take classes for it even through college, he believes that the city has an obligation to provide youth with workforce literacy. There are about 14,500 students under-performing, Newsom said. His education plan focuses on increasing literacy rates, stomping out truancy and decreasing dropout rates.

Those voting for Newsom say he represents a new generation of San Francisco politics. John Shanley, Newsom's press officer argues that he doesn't look at the issues the way politicians did 10 years ago.
"He is looking for creative solutions to change the way business is done," Shanley said. "Two or three years ago he created Proposition E which dealt with Muni reform. It gave Muni a direct funding source and improved Muni service. He is doing the same thing with homelessness."

On Sept. 1, the price of Muni was raised a quarter and monthly passes were raised by $10. Newsom put this rate hike in perspective by stating that this would create beteen $15 million and $18 million in new revenue. He argued that it is not an insubstantial amount of money especially with a $347 million budget deficit in San Francisco.

"The overview of reality is I don't like it and it's hard to swallow, but we have to find the resources somewhere," Newsom said.

Shanley was pleased with the results of today's election. He thinks that they are in pretty good shape but cited that it is a brand new race tomorrow. They will put their efforts back into their Get Out the Vote campaign to get voters to the polls. Shanley is confident that Gavin can defeat Matt Gonzalez in December's runoff.

"Gavin debated Matt over Care Not Cash, and it passed by 60 percent," Shanley said. "I think that we are on the right side of the issues, and we are ready for a vigorous debate on them."