Press Release
NARAL Pro-Choice America Endorses Six Candidates for Election to the U.S. House in Four Key States
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Contact: [email protected]
Nation’s leading reproductive freedom advocacy group endorses six U.S. House candidates in Florida, North Carolina, New Mexico, and Oregon in Red-to-Blue districts
Washington, DC—Today, NARAL Pro-Choice America announced its endorsement of six candidates—Florida State Senator Annette Taddeo; North Carolina State Senator Jeff Jackson; former Las Cruces City, NM Councilmember Gabe Vasquez; Oregon Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle; Oregon community leader Jamie McLeod-Skinner; and Oregon State Representative Andrea Salinas. These candidates are running to represent their respective states in the U.S. House of Representatives in Red-to-Blue districts.
NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju released the following statement:
“NARAL Pro-Choice America is proud to endorse these candidates for election to the U.S. House of Representatives at a time when we need leaders who are ready to take the bold action needed to safeguard abortion access. As Congressional Republicans consider a national abortion ban, it is more important than ever to elect candidates who will fight to protect and advance our fundamental freedoms.”
These NARAL-endorsed candidates bring a wealth of experience and strong commitments to protect and advance reproductive freedom in Congress. State Sen. Annette Taddeo has represented Florida’s Senate District 40 since 2017, where she has fought to defend the freedom to decide. State Sen. Jeff Jackson has represented North Carolina’s Senate District 37 since 2014. He consistently voted against anti-choice legislation and sponsored legislation to remove barriers to abortion access in the state. Gabe Vasquez, who most recently served on the Las Cruces City Council, is a staunch supporter of reproductive freedom, committing to opposing any attempt to ban reproductive healthcare, including abortion access and birth control. Commissioner Val Hoyle has served the people of Oregon in her current role as Oregon Labor Commissioner and as a member of the Oregon State House, where she led the effort to pass the nation’s first requirement for health insurance providers to cover birth control. Jamie McLeod-Skinner, an Oregon community leader and small business owner, has been an outspoken advocate for climate justice, racial justice, giving working families a fair deal, and reproductive freedom. State Rep. Andrea Salinas, serving as both Majority Whip and Assistant Majority Leader, was integral in the fight for and passage of some of the strongest laws in the country to expand and protect reproductive freedom.
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This cruel decision opened the door for extremist state lawmakers to enforce bans on abortion. Roughly half of the states in the country are at risk of banning abortion, and so far, 12 states have bans in place. The people hurt most by these bans and restrictions are those who already face barriers to accessing abortion care—including women; Black, Indigenous, and other people of color; those working to make ends meet; the LGBTQ+ community; immigrants; young people; those living in rural communities; and people with disabilities.
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, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and EMILY’s List announced a partnership in May to collectively spend a historic $150 million on the 2022 midterms to elect reproductive freedom champions up and down the ballot across the country. Read more about NARAL’s endorsed candidates here.
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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 4 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.