Story perspectives

Vanity Fair Exposes Newsom's 20-Year Affair, Sparks 2028 Run Concerns

7/29/2026

Center

Newsom Affair Resurfaces

Vanity Fair published a July 2026 essay detailing former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom’s 20-year-old affair with aide Ruby Rippey.
Advisor Nathan Ballard said the renewed focus on the affair is “suboptimal” for Newsom’s potential 2028 presidential run.
Spokesperson Izzy Gardon reiterated that Newsom publicly apologized for the affair nearly two decades ago.
Rippey says she disclosed the affair, contradicting Newsom’s memoir claim that he told aide Alex Tourk.

Left

Newsom Affair Returns

Vanity Fair published a July 2026 essay about former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom’s 20-year-old affair with secretary Ruby Rippey.
The essay stresses Newsom’s responsibility and the unequal power dynamics, noting #MeToo helped Rippey see the lasting harm.
Rippey says alcoholism and cocaine use grew during the affair, leading to rehab in May 2006.
Governor Newsom’s office restated his public apology from twenty years ago and gave no comment.

Blindspot

Kamala Harris, then San Francisco district attorney, advised Ruby Rippey to pause before speaking publicly about the affair, a counsel Rippey later called the best advice she received.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

Gavin Newsom’s 2006 affair with aide Ruby Rippey, disclosed in a 2026 Vanity Fair essay, resurfaces as he eyes a 2028 presidential run. It mirrors the 1998 Bill Clinton–Monica Lewinsky scandal, where Independent Counsel Ken Starr’s September report listed 11 impeachment grounds and led to a House impeachment. Both episodes show how personal misconduct can reignite partisan fights and jeopardize donor support for a national campaign.

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Newsom Affair Resurfaces

Vanity Fair published a July 2026 essay detailing former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom’s 20-year-old affair with aide Ruby Rippey.
Advisor Nathan Ballard said the renewed focus on the affair is “suboptimal” for Newsom’s potential 2028 presidential run.
Spokesperson Izzy Gardon reiterated that Newsom publicly apologized for the affair nearly two decades ago.
Rippey says she disclosed the affair, contradicting Newsom’s memoir claim that he told aide Alex Tourk.

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