Gus Newport
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Gus Newport | |
|---|---|
 Newport in 1979 | |
| Mayor of Berkeley, California | |
| In office 1979–1986 | |
| Preceded by | Warren Widener |
| Succeeded by | Loni Hancock |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 5, 1935 |
| Died | June 17, 2023 (aged 88) |
| Party | Berkeley Citizens Action |
Eugene "Gus" Newport (April 5, 1935 – June 17, 2023) was an American politician who was the mayor of Berkeley, California, from 1979 to 1986. He later worked to help the Gulfport, Mississippi, community rebuild in the wake of damage from Hurricane Katrina.[1] He was the second African American mayor of Berkeley.[2]
Newport was elected mayor in 1979 with the backing of Berkeley Citizens Action, a coalition of progressives, radicals and reformers. The BCA ran on a campaign of economic reform, inspired by a 1976 document, "The Cities’ Wealth: Programs for Community Economic Control in Berkeley, California."[3][4] He held the mayoralty from 1979 to 1986.[5][6] As mayor, he banned condominium conversions; allowed the established of a homeless community where residents lived in buses and vans; and declared Berkeley a sanctuary city for El Salvadoran refugees.[7]
