Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom went after his counterpart in Texas with a series of ads condemning the Republican for what he described as his “perverse” stances on abortion and gun control.
The Friday ads came the same day Newsom signed legislation allowing private citizens to sue anyone who manufactures, sells, transports or distributes banned “assault weapons and ghost guns.” The Friday legislation also allows residents who sue receive up to $10,000 per weapon if the suit is successful.
The legislation was crafted to mimic Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s 2021 ban on abortion, which allows citizens to sue anyone who provides or assists in an abortion past six weeks of pregnancy. Residents in Texas can also earn up to $10,000 if their lawsuit succeeds.
“If Texas can ban abortion and endanger lives, California can ban deadly weapons of war and save lives. If Governor Abbott truly wants to protect the right to life, we urge him to follow California’s lead,” Newsom’s advertisement reads.
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Newsom will run the full-page ads in several prominent Texas newspapers, including Austin American-Statesman, Houston Chronicle and El Paso Times.
The ads are only the latest indicator that Newsom plans to break through California politics onto the national scene. His name has already been floated by some as a potential Democratic replacement for President Joe Biden in 2024.
Both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are suffering from dismal approval ratings, leaving Democrats scrambling for an effective alternative.
Some stars within the Democratic Party are already appearing to break with Biden ahead of the midterms and 2024. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, refused to say if she would vote for the president in 2024 in a recent appearance on CNN.
“You know, I think we should endorse when we get to it,” Ocasio-Cortez told CNN host Dana Bash. “I believe that the president has been doing a very good job so far. And, you know, should he run again? I think that I… you know, I think it’s … we’ll take a look at it.”
