ed lee

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom remembers San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee

Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom was in disbelief when talking about the sudden death of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee on Tuesday.
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom was in disbelief when talking about the sudden death of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. He spoke to ABC7 News at City Hall on Tuesday.

Newsom teared up and hugged staffers, saying they were like family to Lee.



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"These are his closest friends, they lost someone they love very dearly and so it's hard," he said.

The former mayor of San Francisco said he just saw Lee at an event less than 48-hours ago.

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President Barack Obama walks with San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee after arriving at San Francisco International airport in San Francisco, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011.none
Mayor Ed Lee, center, speaks at a news conference next to his wife Anita, right, and his daughter Brianna outside of his office at City Hall, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011.none
This undated image shows San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee during his time with the Asian Law Caucus.none
This image from the early 1980s shows San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee during his time with the Asian Law Caucus.none
This undated image shows San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee during his time with the Asian Law Caucus.none
This image shows San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee during his time with the Asian Law Caucus in 1988.none
This undated image shows San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee during his time with the Asian Law Caucus.none
This undated image shows San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee during his time with the Asian Law Caucus.none
This undated image shows San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee during his time with the Asian Law Caucus.none
Mayor Ed Lee applauds after presenting a key to the city to Giants pitcher Matt Cain in honor of Cain's perfect game against the Houston Astros, during a ceremony, June 26, 2012.none
''Batkid',' 5-year-old leukemia patient Miles Scott, stands next to Batman as he receives the key to the city from Mayor Ed Lee, at a rally outside of City Hall Nov. 15, 2013.none
Hillary Rodham Clinton, right, waves next to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee after visiting Red Blossom Tea Company in Chinatown in San Francisco, Wednesday, May 6, 2015.none
Torch runners Andrea Vincent, left, and Ed Lee hold the torch Wednesday, April 9, 2008 during the Torch Relay in San Francisco.none
Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, left, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and SF Mayor Ed Lee, right, laugh at the 8th Annual CEO Summit at IBM offices in San Jose, Calif., Friday, April 22, 2011.none
San Francisco interim mayor Ed Lee smiles as his daughter, Brianna, right, looks on at his campaign headquarters for mayor in San Francisco, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011.none
Mayor Ed Lee speaks at a panel at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group's 9th Annual CEO Business Climate Summit in San Jose, Calif., Tuesday, April 24, 2012.none
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee waves during the 44th annual Gay Pride parade Sunday, June 29, 2014, in San Francisco.none
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee waves during a parade for the Golden State Warriors winning the NBA championship in Oakland, Calif., Friday, June 19, 2015.none
Mayor Ed Lee speaks during a meeting at City Hall by city leaders and community activists to reaffirm the city's commitment to being a sanctuary city, Nov. 14, 2016.none
Mayor Ed Lee laughs as he talks with Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers during an NCAA college basketball game between San Francisco and Gonzaga, Jan. 5, 2017.none
Warriors president & COO Rick Welts, listens to speakers next to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and owner & CEO Joe Lacob during a ceremony for the Chase Center, Jan. 17, 2017.none
Mayor Ed Lee listens to questions during a news conference at City Hall Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017, in San Francisco.none


"We were just together a couple of days ago. He was in good spirits, I thought in good health," he said. "Not surprising, we spent 40 minutes talking about homelessness."

Newsom said most people want to be remembered as a decent and honorable person, and that's how he will remember Lee. He got emotional when describing the late mayor saying, "This was a good, decent, honorable guy."

It was Newsom's departure from the office of the mayor in San Francisco, when he became Lieutenant Governor, that opened up the vacancy which eventually Lee filled in 2011.

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