Gavin Newsom drops out of Calif. gov race

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom withdrew Friday from next year's race to be California governor before it officially started.

Newsom said he could not handle the demands of campaigning while continuing to serve as a big-city mayor, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

"With a young family and responsibilities at City Hall, I have found it impossible to commit the time required to complete this effort the way it needs to -- and should be -- done," Newsom said in a statement.

California Attorney General Jerry Brown, a former governor, is not yet a declared candidate. But Brown has been raising far more money than Newsom and running about 20 points ahead of him in polls of potential Democratic primary voters.

"Mayor Newsom is a talented public official and I believe he has a bright future," a Brown statement said. "I am sure this was not an easy decision."

In his statement, Newsom did not say whether he would consider a run for lieutenant governor with Brown, presumably, on the top of the ticket. Newsom's second term as mayor ends in January 2012.