(Bloomberg) — California Governor Gavin Newsom ramped up his attack on Republican-led states, putting up billboards in places like Texas and Oklahoma to advertise options for women traveling for abortion and reproductive care.
Most Read from Bloomberg
The signs, which also appear in Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina and South Dakota, point to a website — abortion.ca.gov — that informs users how to access an abortion in California, according to a statement Thursday. One image shows a woman in handcuffs next to the phrase “Texas doesn’t own your body. You do.” Another says “Need an abortion? California is ready to help.”
“Here is my message to any woman seeking abortion care in these anti-freedom states: Come to California,” Newsom, a Democrat who is running for re-election in November, said in the statement. “We will defend your constitutional right to make decisions about your own health.”
The billboards are paid for by Newsom’s re-election campaign. With that race expected to be an easy victory for the governor, he has been focusing efforts on expanding his national profile and advocating for progressive causes. That includes taking swipes at Republicans over gun regulation and social issues.
Read more: California’s Newsom Escalates GOP Jabs to Build National Profile
Newsom, 54, also has been vocal about positioning the most-populous state as a haven for abortions in the aftermath of the US Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Voters in November will decide whether to enshrine the right to the procedure in the state’s constitution, and California is planning to spend $20 million to pay for out-of-state abortion care.
Newsom has a sizable lead in the governor’s race, according to a poll released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California. About 58% of likely voters will choose to re-elect him, while 31% favor his Republican opponent, state Senator Brian Dahle, according to the survey.
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
