FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2016
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NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC today announced its endorsement of former Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto for election to the U.S. Senate. Cortez Masto has always stood up for Nevada families and for the 7-in-10 Americans who support safe and legal access to abortion. Recently, a controversial Super PAC supporting Cortez Masto’s opponent began airing ads attacking her for supporting pro-choice policies. NARAL strongly condemns these attacks and is building an on-the-ground organizing infrastructure to turn out pro-choice voters this November.
“As we lose stalwart Sen. Harry Reid to retirement, we couldn’t be more proud to stand with former Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto as she campaigns to become the first Latina ever elected to the U.S. Senate,” said Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. “Cortez Masto has been a strong ally in the fight for reproductive freedom and is the leader that Nevadans deserve in the Senate.”
“I’m honored to earn the endorsement of NARAL, an organization dedicated to protecting a woman’s right to choose and access to preventative healthcare,” said Catherine Cortez Masto. “While my opponent, Congressman Heck, opposes a woman’s right to choose and voted with his party’s leaders in Washington to defund Planned Parenthood, I will work with both parties to solve problems and protect Nevada women’s access to preventative healthcare.”
“Catherine Cortez Masto will fight for Nevada values in the U.S. Senate, including our constitutional right to safe and legal abortion,” said Caroline Mello Roberson, Nevada state director for NARAL Pro-Choice America. “We’re excited to expand our on-the-ground organizing effort to mobilize pro-choice Nevadans in support of Cortez Masto this November.”
Cortez Masto is running against Rep. Joe Heck (NV-3), an anti-choice politician who has repeatedly voted to restrict a woman’s access to abortion, including several votes to defund Planned Parenthood. Congressman Heck has cast his vote in favor of plans to ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy with no exceptions for rape, incest, or to protect a woman’s health. He has also worked to limit women’s access to basic reproductive health care by voting to effectively ban abortion coverage in state health-insurance exchanges.
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