Press Release
NARAL Pro-Choice America Endorses Future Leaders for Reproductive Freedom in Five Key U.S. House Races
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Contact: [email protected]
NARAL Pro-Choice America Endorses Future Leaders for Reproductive Freedom in Five Key U.S. House Races
Nation’s leading reproductive freedom advocacy group endorses five U.S. House candidates
Washington, DC—Today, NARAL Pro-Choice America announced its endorsement of five candidates—Colorado State Senator Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Iowa State Senator Liz Mathis (IA-01), Colorado State Representative Dr. Yadira Caraveo (CO-08), Hillary Scholten (MI-03), and Ann Roe (WI-01)—running to represent their respective districts in the U.S. House of Representatives.
NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju released the following statement:
“NARAL Pro-Choice America is proud to endorse these five future leaders for reproductive freedom, Colorado State Senator Brittany Pettersen, Iowa State Senator Liz Mathis, Colorado State Representative Dr. Yadira Caraveo, Hillary Scholten, and Ann Roe for election to the U.S. House of Representatives. These candidates are ready to take the bold action needed to safeguard abortion access. NARAL will be turning out to support these future leaders to ensure they can protect the values of the 8 in 10 Americans who support the legal right to abortion.”
These NARAL-endorsed candidates bring a wealth of experience and strong commitments to protect and advance reproductive freedom in Congress. State Sen. Brittany Pettersen has represented Colorado’s 22nd Senate District since 2019 and was a co-sponsor of the Reproductive Health Equity Act, a bill that would codify the right of Coloradans to make reproductive health care decisions and access contraception and abortion care without government interference. State Rep. Dr. Yadira Caraveo has represented Colorado’s 31st House District since 2019 and also co-sponsored the Reproductive Health Equity Act. If elected, Caraveo would be the first Latina to represent the state in Congress. State Sen. Liz Mathis has represented Iowa’s 34th Senate District since 2011, and was inspired to run for elected office after her opponent voted against protections for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. Hillary Scholten is a seasoned attorney in Michigan who has dedicated her career to being an advocate and volunteered with the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund to provide legal services to women facing workplace sexual harassment. Ann Roe is a small business owner and educator who focuses on improving economic and educational outcomes for children and families.
These endorsements come as NARAL Pro-Choice America is ramping up its work to elect candidates up and down the ballot during a critical moment in the fight for reproductive freedom. NARAL recently announced a partnership with Planned Parenthood Action Fund and EMILY’s List to collectively spend a historic $150 million on the 2022 midterms to elect reproductive freedom champions up and down the ballot across the country.
In the coming months, the U.S. Supreme Court will rule in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization—a case about Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban that directly challenges Roe v. Wade. A recently leaked draft majority opinion in the case indicates that the Court is poised to overturn Roe and end the constitutional right to abortion as we know it. If the landmark abortion rights decision is undone, 28 states—including Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin—are expected to take action to prohibit abortion outright.
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For over 50 years, NARAL Pro-Choice America has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels—including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave—for every body. NARAL is powered by its more than 2.5 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.