California Governor Gavin Newsom has traveled to Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi with his new political action committee (PAC), the Campaign for Democracy, to boost Democrat gubernatorial candidates in deep-red states. Newsom’s travels come amid rumors of a presidential run in 2024, positioning himself to either be a fundraising force for Democrats or try to take the White House for himself if the path seems clear.
However, the governor’s plans violate the spirit of the widely-panned political ban on state-sponsored and state-funded travel to 23 GOP-run states, which he implemented.
NEW: I'm launching a new organization, Campaign for Democracy.
America is in an existential struggle for democracy.
Extremist Republicans are systematically attacking the very foundations of our free society — denying women equality, attacking https://t.co/dhkSqoB0db… pic.twitter.com/cvdJu9mNro
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 30, 2023
Fox News Digital asked Newsom’s office if the governor’s travel involved state-funded security and if Newsom believed his travels violated the spirit of his own law, but Newsom’s office did not respond.
Newsom’s travel also posed a unique risk for the vehemently pro-choice blue governor as the Democrat candidate for governor in Mississippi, Brandon Presley, is very pro-life.
However, Presley and Newsom did not meet, with the governor instead spending the day with Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba. Newsom’s spokesperson Anthony York told the Washington Free Beacon the governor’s trip had nothing to do with a state Democrat’s attempt to repeal the law and that “no state paid staff will be on his trip.”
We’ve raised $100,000 in the last two hours from every state across the country. Incredible.
Every dollar counts as we fight back against extreme Republicans who are putting their own power over your own freedom.
If you want to give, join us here: https://t.co/ZizfxzZo2Z
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 30, 2023
The California governor dropped $10 million into the new PAC last week, making wild claims about Republicans in the states, including calling their governors “authoritarian leaders.”
Newsom claimed in his video announcing the PAC that Republican states “criminalize doctors,” “intimidate librarians, kidnap migrants,” “target trans kids,” “stoke racism,” “condone antisemitism,” among other wild accusations. Newsom has also taken to bashing states that rival his own, frequently attacking Texas and the Lone Star State Governor Greg Abbott.
Newsom has attacked Texas over its conservative values and laws on guns, abortion and taxes, even going so far as to put up billboards in the state promoting abortion access while running for re-election in California.
One billboard depicted a woman in handcuffs, saying, “Texas doesn’t own your body. You do.” Another ad that Newsom ran in Texas said, “If Texas can ban abortion and endanger lives, California can ban deadly weapons of war and save lives. If Gov. Abbott truly wants to protect the right to life, we urge him to follow California’s lead.”
