California will spend up to $19 million in taxpayer funds on a public relations campaign, with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration awarding the contract to Edelman through the state’s Office of Business and Economic Development.
The campaign will run from April 6 through the end of the year. It will promote California’s economy and tourism while countering what Newsom’s administration describes as “negative narratives” circulating online and in partisan media. The contract follows a request for proposals issued last month seeking a campaign to improve the state’s national image, including outreach tied to business development, tourism, workforce messaging, and potential investors. The state is directing bidders to address how California is portrayed in national media and online discussions.
Edelman, a New York-based communications firm with offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco, was selected for the project with a contract valued at up to $19 million. Under the agreement, the firm is expected to develop messaging campaigns, coordinate media outreach, and promote California’s economic profile across national platforms. The firm partnered with smaller businesses as part of its proposal, which Newsom’s administration cited in the selection process.
Newsom’s administration described the campaign as an economic initiative, not a political one, and said it focuses on California rather than the governor.
“The campaign will tell the California story, not the Gavin Newsom story… The effort is about California’s success, not about politics.”
The administration said California’s business climate has been mischaracterized and that the state should present its case to investors, workers, and tourists.
Republican critics point to the contract’s cost and optics, particularly because it is funded with taxpayer dollars.
“Gavin Newsom is giving $19 million California taxpayer dollars to a New York PR firm to promote California in a better light to the nation. Which does not at all sound like Gavin Newsom is making a presidential campaign ad for himself,” Kevin Dalton, who ran for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, wrote on X.
Other critics have focused on the financial burden, with Republican congressional candidate Christine Bish saying Californians “aren’t being asked, they’re being billed.”
California faces projected budget shortfalls in the coming years, along with continued concerns about the cost of living and population loss. Democratic lawmakers who oversee state spending declined to say whether the contract is an appropriate use of public funds, even as the state projects deficits in upcoming budget cycles and faces pressure on housing, infrastructure, and public services, all of which remain central to ongoing fiscal debates in Sacramento.
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The agreement runs through December 31, 2026, and funds a $19 million campaign that ties to how Newsom’s administration presents California’s economy and business climate to national audiences.
Newsom’s administration is now spending $19 million to counter criticism tied to budget shortfalls, rising costs, and population loss, the same issues still driving debate over California’s direction and record, with Newsom asleep at the wheel.
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