Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wife has personal connection to some avalanche victims

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that his wife, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, has a personal connection to the avalanche in Tahoe that claimed nine lives and is the deadliest slide in state history.

“Turns out, a lot of mutual friends in Marin County. I’m just learning some of my wife’s old family friends,” Newsom told reporters during a press conference about public transit in Daly City.

Three of the victims so far have been identified as mothers with connections to the Bay Area.

A neighbor identified one victim as Kate Coakley Vitt, a mom of two and executive at SiriusXM who lived in Greenbrae, a small town in Marin County near where the Newsoms live.

The New York Times identified two victims as sisters Caroline Sekar of San Francisco and Liz Clabaugh of Idaho.

It was unclear if the Newsoms’ family friends were among the victims, or if those friends knew people who had perished in the Sierra Nevadas on Tuesday. A Newsom spokesperson was not able to provide more details on the record.

At least one person remains missing but is presumed dead. On Thursday afternoon, authorities said weather conditions were too dangerous for them to recover the eight victims’ remains.

“My son just came back from Tahoe, and he easily could’ve been one of those folks in Sugar Bowl,” the governor said, referring to his elder son Hunter, 14, and the ski resort where 15 backcountry skiers were caught in the slide.

“I’ve been in that area many, many times. I stayed in those cabins just a year or so ago, and (I’m) very mindful the terrain and nature of this, but just it’s tragic, it’s the most devastating avalanche,” Newsom said.

“Our hearts go out to those that lost their lives, and a community of skiers and a community of families from the Bay Area.”

This story was originally published February 19, 2026 at 6:20 PM.