California Assembly Republican Caucus
Are taxpayers paying for Governor Newsom’s vanity campaign?
SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom is spending $19 million in taxpayer dollars on an advertising campaign to fix California’s image, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.
“While Californians suffer at the pump and sleep in the streets, Governor Newsom is gutting Medi-Cal to fund an out-of-state PR tour. He isn’t leading our state; he’s looting it to buy a seat in the White House,” said Assemblywoman Alexandra M. Macedo (R-Tulare). “This isn’t policy, it’s a vanity project built on the backs of our most vulnerable.”
About two-thirds of the money would go toward marketing to push back on criticism of the state during the end of Newsom’s term.
The timing raises questions about whether the funds are being used to prop up Newsom’s presidential ambitions, as his future is tied to how voters view his record in California.
Assembly Republicans say no amount of advertising money will change what Californians see every day.
California was once known around the world for the California Dream.
But under Gavin Newsom’s leadership, California is now known for:
- The worst homelessness crisis in the nation
- Gas prices 50% higher than the national average
- The highest poverty rate in the country
- The largest housing shortage in America
- Being named the most expensive state to live in by CNBC in 2025
Rather than fixing these problems, Newsom wants to take the easy way out by spending taxpayer dollars to defend his record.
Californians do not want another marketing campaign.
They need Sacramento to stop creating the problems it now wants to advertise away.
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