Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s upcoming memoir details the devastation he experienced after his mother’s assisted suicide, despite his approval of a recent law allowing terminally ill Californians to end their lives.
Newsom is set to release his new book, “Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery,” on Feb. 24, which details parts of his upbringing, including his grief and remorse while recounting his mother’s assisted suicide at just 55 years old, according to The Washington Post. At the time of his mother Tessa Newsom’s request in 2002, she suffered from metastatic breast cancer.
“I hated her for it — to be there for the last breath — for years,” the Democratic governor told The Post. “I want to say it was a beautiful experience. It was horrible.”
Just an hour before her scheduled death, Newsom said he and his sister administered Tessa’s regular painkillers to keep her comfortable. When the doctor arrived, Tessa “lucidly answered” questions confirming she was certain of her decision to end her life, The Post reported.
Newsom’s sister left the room before the medication was administered, but the Democratic governor remained with Tessa throughout the process.
“Then I sat there with her for another 20 minutes after she was dead,” Newsom told The Post. “My head on her stomach, just crying, waiting for another breath.”
In 2015, former Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown signed the End of Life Option Act, known as the state’s aid-in-dying law, after the California Legislature passed it. The measure was enacted through the legislative process and was never placed on the ballot for voters to decide.
While there was strong public support for the initiative at the time, which helped drive its passage through the Legislature, earlier attempts to legalize physician-assisted dying in California failed when put before voters in 1992.
Nearly five years after the original law took effect, Newsom signed Senate Bill 380, which shortened the waiting period between the two required oral requests for aid-in-dying medication from 15 days to 48 hours. The bill also eliminated the requirement for a final written attestation, officially taking effect Jan. 1, 2022.
Most recently, in October 2025, Newsom signed Senate Bill 403, which amended the End of Life Option Act by repealing its sunset provision. The law was set to expire Jan. 1, 2031. The amendment made the medical aid-in-dying law permanent, with advocacy organizations praising the decision.
“Compassion & Choices celebrates Governor Newsom’s decision to sign Senate Bill 403 into law and ensure continued access to medical aid in dying for terminally ill adults, demonstrating his commitment to patient autonomy in the state of California,” President/CEO for Compassion & Choices and Compassion & Choices Action Network Kevin Díaz said at the time. “With his signature, Californians will no longer have to worry that they or their loved ones may not have access to a full range of healthcare options when they are making their end-of-life decisions.”
According to the California Department of Public Health’s data since the law took effect in 2016, over 8,000 individuals have received aid-in-dying prescriptions, with 5,432 individuals having died from the ingestion of the drugs.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
