California Governor Skips Historic Mansion For Fair Oaks Home

(AP) — California's new governor won't be living in the historic governor's mansion after all.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and his family moved into the remodeled 142-year-old Victorian mansion around the time he was sworn into office earlier this month.

But they plan to move to a $3.7 million, six-bedroom house in Fair Oaks, The Sacramento Bee reported Friday, citing property records showing the family bought the home in December.

The house was purchased by a company registered to Newsom's cousin, Jeremy Scherer, co-president of PlumpJack, a hospitality company founded by Newsom.

The 12,000 square-foot home is "more kid-friendly" for the four Newsom children, all under 10, said Newsom spokesman Nathan Click. The family plans to move, along with their two dogs and rabbit, once their new house is renovated in a few months.

A Realtor's invitation described the Fair Oaks property as a "sophisticated Santa Barbara Montecito-styled home within over eight acres of park-like setting" including a wine cellar, pool, guest house and tennis court.

Click said the historic governor's mansion will be used for public events and state business.

The Newsoms have been the first gubernatorial family with children to live in the mansion a few blocks from the state Capitol, even temporarily, since former Gov. Jerry Brown's sister, Kathleen, lived there as a teenager while their father, Pat Brown, was governor in the 1960s.

Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, initially had been undecided about moving to Sacramento from their home in Marin County near San Francisco, citing their concerns about uprooting their young children.