Gavin's number five! Gavin's number five! Mayor Newsom came in fifth in this year's World Mayor Awards -- a markedly better showing than last year, where he came in "less than 1500 votes but strong international appeal." That's a little awkward to have printed on a ribbon.

This year, Newsom was the highest-ranked US mayor, and came in behind Dora Bakoyannis of Athens, Greece; Hazel McCallion of Mississauga, Canada; Alvaro Arzu of Guatemala City; and Oscar Samson Rodriguez of San Fernando, Philippines. Bakoyannos was cited for her strong handling of the 2004 Olympics and her fight against terrorism.

And Newsom....? Well, he got props for gay marriage and Care Not Cash. Um, didn't he do anything in 2005? (His profile does note that he broke up with the Kims this year). Check out the comments he got in support of his nomination too. "As a San Franciscan, words cannot express the joy I have in knowing that Gavin Newsom is my Mayor."

No other -ist mayors made the top ten, but in the US Americas, the mayors in Toronto, Chicago, DC, and Seattle made the finals, as did Shanghai, Paris, and London. Though we could always start Mississaugaist any day now!