As primary season ramps up ahead of what’s sure to be a polarizing general election in November, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s national push has migrated to an ad campaign touting the need for reproductive rights.
His Campaign for Democracy launched the red-state focused campaign Sunday morning with “Hostage,” an advertisement airing in Tennessee that depicts a young woman handcuffed to a hospital bed with a sexual assault evidence collection kit on a table beside her.
The ad tells viewers to go to RightToTravel.org, a website run by Campaign for Democracy that asks users to sign a pledge to urge lawmakers to vote no on legislation persecuting women that travel out of state to avoid abortion bans. Such laws have been proposed in Tennessee, Alabama and Oklahoma, according to the site.
“Tennessee’s abortion ban has no exceptions if you have been raped. No exceptions if you’re the victim of incest,” Newsom said in a post to X, formerly known as Twitter. “Now, Republicans in Tennessee are trying to punish young women that travel to receive care.”
Campaign for Democracy said in a news release that the six-figure ad campaign will launch in Tennessee before expanding to other states.
Newsom’s out-of-state venture comes after he’s taken somewhat of a national spotlight ahead of the 2024 Presidential Election. California’s governor isn’t a candidate himself, but he’s been fierce on the campaign trail in support of President Joe Biden.
Last November, Newsom took on then-GOP candidate Ron Desantis on the debate stage. The debate, hosted on Fox News, led to questions of Newsom’s own national aspirations. So far, he’s denied all insinuations that he’s gearing up for a potential last-second 2024 run.