Virginia voters overwhelmingly support candidates running strong on reproductive freedom
For Immediate Release: November 5, 2019
Contact: [email protected]
Tonight both the Virginia General Assembly and State Senate flipped to Democratic control, creating a pro-choice majority, solidifying a Democratic trifecta, and paving the way for meaningful progress on reproductive freedom.
Statement from NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue:
“Tonight Virginians sent a clear message about what values should govern their state. In race after race, champions of reproductive freedom and justice were elected and re-elected. Viriginia chose affirmatively to not go the way of states whose politicians seek to criminalize abortion and punish women. These victories are also a firm rebuke of the intentional deception and disinformation campaign waged by desperate anti-choice politicians who will stop at nothing to interfere in women’s personal reproductive healthcare decisions in order to push their out-of-touch agenda. NARAL’s members in Virginia worked tirelessly to help elect these pro-choice champions and ensure Virginia can achieve meaningful progress for reproductive freedom for years to come.”
Statement from NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia Executive Director Tarina Keene:
“Today is a historic day for reproductive freedom. Virginians came out to the polls to reject the notion that politicians have the right to control a woman’s reproductive destiny, and therefore, her future. By making false and inflammatory claims about abortion throughout 2019 at the expense of women and families, anti-abortion politicians in Virginia have made their bed and now they must lie in it. Virginians overwhelmingly—72%— support access to safe and legal abortion care and expect their legislators to secure a future that safeguards access to abortion care and upholds basic rights and justice. Virginians know that Roe is hanging by a thread at the Supreme Court, and today they elected candidates who trust a woman to make her own reproductive healthcare decisions and who will put their health and safety ahead of politics.”
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NARAL Pro-Choice America and its network of state affiliates and chapters are dedicated to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom for all. For more than 50 years, NARAL has worked to guarantee that every woman has the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. Since 1969, NARAL has made history, grown to over 2. million members, and met the moments that have defined this fight with action, power and freedom. In recognition of its work defending our constitutional right to choose, Fortune Magazine described NARAL as “one of the top 10 advocacy groups in America.”