The time for Gavin Newsom honoring himself isn’t over yet.
California’s governor wants taxpayers to spend $33,000 on an official portrait of him, even as Democratic lawmakers fume over Newsom’s “absurd” $20 million proposal to honor the state’s living former governors — an exclusive club of which he’ll soon be a member.
Gov. Gavin Newsom put in a request for a $33,000 portrait of himself to hang in the Capitol. SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty ImagesFunding for the proposed painting is included in Newsom’s proposed 2026-27 budget under “Governor’s Portrait,” which says the money would pay for the “traditional painting of the Governor’s portrait” to be displayed in the State Capitol alongside portraits of every other California governor.
The $33,000 would come from the state’s General Fund at a time when all new discretionary spending is being discouraged by Democratic lawmakers and state budget analysts. California faces long-term structural budget deficits while Golden State residents are contending with high gas prices, soaring housing costs and increasingly expensive health care services.
Newsom also used his last budget to float a $20 million to plan to honor the state’s living former governors. AFP via Getty Images
Republican State Sen. Suzette Valladares of Santa Clarita scoffed at the portrait’s price tag.
“Only in Sacramento would a governor look at struggling families and think, ‘You know what this moment needs? A painting of me,’” she said.
Republican Assemblymember Alexandra M. Macedo of Fresno — who has excoriated Newsom over the high-speed rail project that will supposedly begin service in her district in 2032 — joked that the governor’s proposed portrait is “a real tribute to modern California governance.”
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post SportsFacebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home delivery: Sign up here!
Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!
“At least future generations will have a painting to remember who kept spending billions carving a permanent scar through prime Central Valley farmland for a train that will never connect Northern and Southern California,” Macedo said.
California governors have traditionally had official portraits displayed in the Capitol after leaving office. Jerry Brown started the practice with an infamously ugly portrait in 1984, which some legislators joked to New York magazine looked as if it had been painted with “spilled ketchup and soy sauce.”
Former Gov. Jerry Brown’s portrait in 1984 set a new standard for portraits. State of California Capitol Museum
Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger commissioned his own portrait and paid out of pocket. State of California Capitol MuseumThe artist, Don Bachardy, was reportedly paid $13,000, which would be about $41,000 today when adjusted for inflation.
Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger picked up the tab of his own massive portrait — painted by by Austrian-born artist Gottfired Helnwein — for an unknown cost.
The timing of the governor’s request is especially awkward, after The California Post reported that Newsom tucked a vague $20 million “Governors’ Legacies” fund into his final, record-setting $349.9 billion budget plan.
The proposal would give the administration authority to distribute money to state departments for unspecified projects honoring California’s living former governors just months before Newsom becomes one himself. He also hired a dedicated photographer at an annual cost of $200,000.
“This governor’s vanity knows no bounds,” state Republican Sen. Brian Jones of San Diego told the Post.
“It’s truly unreal the brazen, egomaniacal behavior he continues to display. But just like infamous dictators erstwhile and elsewhere, all the gilded propaganda and pageantry won’t fool the real Californians suffering everyday under his regime.”
Newsom’s budget seemed to place a large emphasis on his place in California history. Anadolu via Getty ImagesNewsom’s office did not respond to the Post’s request for comment on the portrait after defending the $20 million proposal. A spokesperson for the governor said the “Legacies” plan does not include spending on the current governor and would focus on the public service and policy milestones of past living governors from both parties.
Democratic lawmakers were already openly mocking the broader proposal last week.
Democratic State Sen. Caroline Menjivar of Los Angeles called the $20 million fund “absurd” during a budget hearing focused on health care services.
“I do not care to recognize the legacy of governors past or present,” Menjivar said.
Frank Merriam became California’s governor after the death of then-Gov. James Rolph in 1934.
“I care about seniors having health insurance and seniors with disabilities having health insurance.”
Democratic State Sen. Christopher Cabaldon of Yolo County said lawmakers were being asked to approve millions of dollars with no clear plan, comparing the idea to President Trump’s White House ballroom renovations.
“There’s really nothing here,” Cabaldon said. “There’s no proposal here to be responsive to.”
Newsom has a bust in San Francisco City Hall that was funded by businesses with ties to the former mayor. San Francisco Art CommissionNewsom is no stranger to self-tributes.
A bronze bust commemorating his time as San Francisco mayor was installed at City Hall in 2018, months before he was elected governor. That $100,000 sculpture was funded through private donations from businesses tied to Newsom.
