San Francisco mayor seeks treatment for alcohol use

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 6 (Reuters) San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who gained national attention by championing same-sex marriage, said he would seek treatment for alcohol use, an announcement that follows his admission of an affair with his campaign manager's wife.

''Upon reflection with friends and family this weekend, I have come to the conclusion that I will be a better person without alcohol in my life,'' he said in a statement yesterday.

Sworn into office in 2004, Newsom, 39, was seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party. Soon after taking office, he defied a state law that defined marriage as a union between and man and a woman, until a court ordered the city to stop allowing gays to marry.

Last week the divorced mayor admitted to a romantic involvement with the wife of his campaign manager, who had just quit the position. ''I will not let my personal failures impact my public duties,'' Newsom said last week.

Earlier yesterday Newsom said he was focusing on his work, and he also participated in a ceremony welcoming the massive Queen Mary 2 cruise liner to San Francisco.

Reuters RL DB0942