Gavin Newsom focuses on abortion rights in California recall election in wake of Texas ban

Gov. Gavin Newsom is making abortion rights a central theme in his campaign to hold on to his office after a Texas ban on most abortions took effect this week, arguing Californians’ rights could be also be jeopardized if he’s replaced as governor by Republican Larry Elder.

California has long been a stronghold of the reproductive rights movement. Democrats who hold a supermajority in the California Legislature routinely pass bills to increase access to abortions.

For weeks, Newsom has highlighted Elder’s opposition to abortion. Newsom on Friday seized on a statement from anti-abortion activist Lila Rose, who wrote on Twitter that she’s endorsing Elder after he promised to try to limit abortions if elected governor.

“A woman’s fundamental right to make her own health decisions could be wiped away” in the recall, Newsom wrote on Twitter while highlighting Rose’s endorsement of Elder.

Rose said when she spoke with Elder this week he “pledged” to cut funding for abortions in the state budget, veto pro-abortion rights bills and appoint anti-abortion judges and officials.

Elder’s campaign declined to answer questions about whether he has promised to take steps to limit abortions if elected. Elder currently leads in the polls as the top choice to replace Newsom if he’s recalled.

Rose’s Thursday tweet contrasted with what the Republican candidate told reporters at a press conference the day before, when he acknowledged he opposes abortion but said limiting access would not be a top priority for him if elected. He noted his ability to affect abortion rights would be limited by Democratic supermajorities in the Legislature.

“We have two-thirds supermajorities in the Senate, two-thirds majority in the Assembly, and there is zero possibility that all of a sudden those two-thirds are going to suddenly become pro-life like Larry Elder and begin to change the law,” he said Wednesday. “In the event that Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortion will still be pretty much available on demand here in California.”

Abortion funding and judges

Even with the Democrats’ dominance in the Legislature, Elder would have some sway over abortion policy if he’s elected. He would have the power to appoint anti-abortion people to the judiciary and state government, for instance.

Elder could veto pro-abortion legislation and funding, although Democrats in the Legislature could override those vetoes with their supermajority.

Abortion providers say funding cuts could force some clinics to close in California and that appointing officials hostile to abortions could also erode access.

Abortion access made national headlines after the U.S. Supreme Court this week declined to block a Texas law that bans abortions after about six weeks, before most people know they are pregnant, in a major blow to the Roe v. Wade decision that established a constitutional right to abortion nationwide in 1973.

Newsom connected that law to Elder at a campaign event.

Elder has “been a devout, long-term advocate for overturning constitutional rights that have been enshrined for close to half a century in overturning Roe v. Wade,” Newsom told supporters at a rally featuring top California LGBT politicians Friday.

Why Gavin Newsom is talking about Texas decision

Newsom benefits from the issue suddenly dominating the news, Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson said.

“He has a very concrete example to point to to indicate that people’s lives really could be different if he is not the governor,” she said.

Menlo College political science Professor Melissa Michelson said abortion rights aren’t usually top of mind for Californians, but she’s seeing that shift. She said young women came to her classes Wednesday concerned about the Texas law going into effect and wondering if something similar could happen in California.

“Californians are overwhelmingly in support of a women’s right to choose and access to abortions,” she said, “but it’s not usually something they think about when it comes to making election choices because its not usually considered in jeopardy.”

The Texas decision could boost turnout in the California recall, particularly among young women concerned about the issue and among people who oppose abortion and now see an opportunity to advance their cause by voting for Elder, she said.

The limits on Elder’s powers to restrict abortion, including the short amount of time he would serve finishing out Newsom’s term through 2022, mean he wouldn’t be able to dramatically erode abortion rights in California, Michelson said.

“This is more of a theoretical risk than an actual risk to reproductive rights in California,” she said. “That’s not going to stop all the politicians from taking full advantage of it to either rile up their voters or to scare them.”

This story was originally published September 4, 2021 at 8:25 AM with the headline "Gavin Newsom focuses on abortion rights in California recall election in wake of Texas ban."