For Immediate Release: May 14, 2020

Contact: [email protected]

NARAL Pro-Choice America today announced its endorsement of Sri Preston Kulkarni in his campaign to represent Texas’ 22nd Congressional District. Kulkarni is a lifelong public servant and national security expert who is running for the open seat being vacated by anti-choice Republican Representative Pete Olson. Kulkarni will be facing off in November against one of two anti-choice Republican candidates, to be decided in a runoff on July 14th.

“NARAL is proud to endorse Sri Preston Kulkarni, whose leadership in Congress will be critical for fighting back against Republicans’ relentless attacks on reproductive freedom,” said Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. “My home state of Texas already faces some of the worst restrictions on reproductive freedom, and women and families deserve someone who will fight for them and who stands with the 77% of Americans who support legal access to abortion. After enduring years of Rep. Olson’s anti-choice agenda, it’s time for Texans in the 22nd Congressional District to be represented by a champion like Sri who will safeguard their fundamental freedom to make personal decisions about if, when, and how to raise a family.”

“Women deserve the right to make their own healthcare decisions and in Congress, I will fight to protect that right and stand up against any attempts by Washington Republican to undermine access to life saving healthcare services,” said Sri Preston Kulkarni. “Our campaign is honored to have NARAL stand with us in the fight to ensure access to basic reproductive healthcare available for all.”

Texas has some of the most severe restrictions on abortion in the United States, including forcing delays before a woman can receive abortion care and subjecting women to mandatory biased counseling.

Despite the fact that 96% of Texas counties have no clinics providing abortion care, anti-choice politicians in Texas continue to attack reproductive freedom and access to abortion, even going so far as to introduce a bill last legislative session that would place women behind bars for seeking abortion care and could even lead to them facing the death penalty.

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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 2.5 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.”