SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ Californians made their choice Tuesday and elected Gavin Newsom their next governor. Now, Newsom faces some crucial choices of his own _ who will serve in his administration.
There won't be much time to waste. Newsom, a Democrat who is finishing his second term as lieutenant governor, will be sworn in the first Monday in January, leaving him just two months to fill key posts.
Given the task, it was perhaps unsurprising that, in chatting with reporters Thursday, the governor-elect sounded more like a human resources director than a policy wonk.
"I've focused on policy for years and years and years, and now I'm focusing on personnel," Newsom said. "I've told my staff we're going from the how business to the who business, and we're assessing the applications that are coming in."
With all the vacant positions, Newsom joked, he has a lot of "new best friends."
Most crucial will be those whom Newsom hires for the "Horseshoe," the U-shaped suite of offices that house the inner circle of the governor's senior advisors.
"You have to create a team where all the puzzle pieces fit," said Dana Williamson, a top adviser to Gov. Jerry Brown. "You've got disparate roles with people who can offer different voices. The lieutenant governor is going to have to decide what kind of team he wants"
Here's a guide to the top jobs to watch in the new administration.
