Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled on Thursday a billboard campaign advertising abortions in California to residents of various Republican-leaning states.
“NEW: Just launched billboards in 7 of the most restrictive anti-abortion states that explain how women can access care — no matter where they live. To any woman seeking an abortion in these anti-freedom states: CA will defend your right to make decisions about your own health,” California’s governor tweeted Thursday afternoon.
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The California governor and subject of 2024 speculation also tagged the governors of each of the seven states he is targeting, with a photo of the particular billboard he is debuting in their states.
Govs. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Greg Abbott of Texas, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Eric Holcomb of Indiana, Tate Reeves of Mississippi, Henry McMaster of South Carolina, and Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma all received a tweet directed at them from Newsom.
“Governor Newsom should focus on all the jobs and businesses that are leaving California and coming to Texas,” Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R-TX) press secretary, Renae Eze, told the Washington Examiner.
“It is very interesting to see Gov. Newsom’s 2024 primary campaign extend to Mississippi, but we do suspect that most Mississippians will not be interested in what he is selling,” Cory Custer, the deputy chief of staff, external affairs in the office of Gov. Tate Reeves (R-MS), told the Washington Examiner.
A spokesperson for Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) referred the Washington Examiner to a tweet from the governor that reads, “South Dakota: more Freedom, lower taxes, better 2nd Amendment rights. Hear why Freedom-loving Americans are moving here to help our state continue to thrive.”
South Dakota: more Freedom, lower taxes, better 2nd Amendment rights.
Hear why Freedom-loving Americans are moving here to help our state continue to thrive. pic.twitter.com/Cehsukrdic
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) September 15, 2022
Govs. DeWine, Holcomb, McMaster, and Stitt were reached out to by the Washington Examiner but did not provide a comment.
The new billboards indicate viewers should travel to California if they wish to receive abortions, where they are much easier to obtain. The advertisements direct people to abortion.ca.gov, a government site that walks women through the process of securing the procedure.
“I want people to know all around the rest of the country, and many parts of the globe, that I hope we’re your antidote to your fear, your anxiety,” Newsom says on the website.
This comes as states grapple with their approaches to legislating abortion after Roe v. Wade was overturned this summer.
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On Tuesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) announced a bill that would ban abortions federally after 15 weeks of pregnancy, except for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. While Graham wants to put his colleagues on the record, other Senate Republicans and strategists insist the topic should be dealt with by the states, with some Republicans noting that the senator did not make this decision in conjunction with the conference.
