Newsom seizes on fight over abortion as a key part of reelection

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Two days after kicking off his reelection campaign, Gov. Gavin Newsom replaced his opening upbeat message about California with a dire warning that his highest-profile Republican opponent “stands with Donald Trump” and “wants to roll back abortion rights.”

It’s a pivot to a familiar strategy for the Democratic governor.

Newsom released the new 30-second ad

Wednesday, one day after the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed a draft opinion was leaked that, if signed by five justices, would rescind existing federal legal protections for women seeking abortions. The news quickly catapulted reproductive rights to the top of the list of key issues in midterm elections around the country and Newsom’s reelection campaign for a second and final four-year term in office.