'Vanity unbound': Fury as Gavin Newsom reveals plans for $33,000 taxpayer-funded portrait of himself

Published: 20:14, 27 May 2026 | Updated: 20:22, 27 May 2026 California Governor Gavin Newsom has sparked fury over a planned $33,000 taxpayer-funded portrait of himself to be displayed in the state capitol. The funds allocated for the official portrait were revealed in Newsom's $349.5 billion state budget. In addition, the budget seeks to establish a $20 million fund to honor the legacies of the Golden State's living former governors. While it is tradition for California governors to be honored with a portrait, Arnold Schwarzenegger paid for the artwork out of his own pocket. Democrats and Republicans alike have bashed the proposals, which come amid controversy about the condition of California's finances. 'This governor's vanity knows no bounds,' California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones told the California Post this week. 'It's truly unreal the brazen, egomaniacal behavior he continues to display.' State Senator Caroline Menjivar, a Democrat, called the legacy fund 'absurd' during a committee meeting last week and said she '[did] not care to recognize the legacy of governors past or present.' Newsom, who leaves office in January 2027 and is widely tipped to run for president in 2028, touted his budget as an unmitigated success.  California Governor Gavin Newsom and his wife Jennifer at the 33rd Annual White House Correspondents' Garden Brunch in Washington, DC, Saturday, April 25 A bronze bust of California Governor Gavin Newsom at San Francisco City Hall. Newsom was mayor of the city from 2004 to 2011 'California is proof that fiscal discipline and progressive values go hand in hand,' he said. 'We're balancing the budget, eliminating the deficit, cutting spending, and building reserves.' Jones disagreed last Monday on X, pointing to unpaid pandemic-era debt the state took on to pay unemployment claims. The California Legislative Analyst's Office, a nonpartisan fiscal analysis group, says there are annual 'structural deficits' of $10 billion for the next four years. Balanced or not, Newsom's budget – portrait and legacy fund included – is the largest in state history, up nearly $30 billion from last year. The state legislature is obliged to pass a budget bill by June 15, with Newsom's package expected to sail through as the Democrats hold a supermajority in both houses. Newsom's office did not respond to requests for comment on the portrait but defended the $20 million fund for former governors. A spokesman said that it did not include spending on Newsom and would focus on the achievements of past Republican and Democratic governors. San Francisco's city hall building already houses a bronze bust of Newsom, commemorating his tenure as mayor. Newsom was criticized over the $100,000 bust by artist Bruce Wolfe after businesses tied to his family donated to a non-profit to help pay for the sculpture. 'Businesses tied to the Newsom family made a modest contribution to the privately funded initiative and raised funds for the effort,' Newsom's office said last year.  'The contributions were not in any way "secret" as falsely claimed by some now.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.