Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom continued to pick fights with red states, launching a billboard blitz Thursday advertising the Golden State’s emphatic embrace of abortion.
Newsom’s latest campaign includes 18 billboards in Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Oklahoma, all of which have taken action to protect the lives of the unborn. The billboards urge women who want abortions to come to California and include a web address that lists all of the state’s clinics.
“Texas doesn’t own your body. You do,” declares a woman in handcuffs on one of the billboards.
Another says, “Need an abortion? California is ready to help.” It also includes the Bible verse, Mark 12:31: “Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these.”
“Here is my message to any woman seeking abortion care in these anti-freedom states: Come to California,” Newsom said Thursday. “We will defend your constitutional right to make decisions about your own health.”
Newsom appears to be bidding to elevate his national profile in preparation for a potential 2024 Democratic presidential run. He also took out a television ad in Florida this year, telling Sunshine State residents their freedoms are being taken away. Additionally, he bought ads in three newspapers in Texas, criticizing Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s stance on gun control after the school shooting tragedy in Uvalde, Texas.
The campaign is likely to have little effect on Republican-led states, where pro-life laws tend to reflect the conservative beliefs of many of the states’ residents. Cory Custer, deputy chief of staff for external affairs for Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R), said as much.
“It is very interesting to see Governor Newsom’s 2024 primary campaign extend to Mississippi,” Custer told Politico. “But we do suspect that most Mississippians will not be interested in what he is selling.”