California Governor Gavin Newsom is planning a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign aimed at improving the state’s image, even as California faces a significant budget deficit and ongoing challenges related to housing, homelessness, and wildfire recovery.
According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, Newsom’s administration is seeking bids for a $19 million media campaign designed to promote California as a desirable place to “live, work, invest and visit.” The effort is intended to counter what state officials describe as misleading narratives about California’s economy and quality of life.
Of the total contract value, up to $14 million would be spent on paid media placements, including traditional advertising and partnerships with social media influencers, according to FOX 40.
A spokesperson for Newsom defended the campaign, arguing that California has been unfairly portrayed in public discourse.
“California and its business climate have been falsely and maliciously maligned for years, and the state has a right to tell the true story — California is a great place to live, work, invest and visit,” said Tara Gallegos, a spokesperson for the governor. “Setting the record straight will benefit every business, worker and resident of this state.”
The bidding process for the campaign opened February 24 and is expected to close March 13, according to the Times.
Documents related to the contract request emphasize that the campaign’s purpose is to push back against criticism of the state.
“Some look at this state and try to tear down our progress. They attack our values and caricature our culture. They distort the data to diminish our accomplishments,” the request for bids states.
However, the timing of the initiative has drawn criticism from some lawmakers and observers, who argue that the state should focus its resources on pressing domestic challenges.
California continues to grapple with high housing costs, a large homeless population, and the aftermath of major wildfires, including the recent Palisades Fire.
Republican State Sen. Roger Niello of Fair Oaks criticized the campaign and suggested it could be politically motivated.
“This is clearly part of the Gavin Newsom for President campaign,” Niello told the Los Angeles Times. “But what is most troubling to me is that this is a program to be developed by some private-sector contractor to define what is acceptable speech in the state of California. That scares the stuffing out of me.”
