Press Release
NARAL Pro-Choice America Endorses Future Leaders for Reproductive Freedom in Four Key U.S. House Races
For Immediate Release: Thursday, August 18, 2022
Contact: [email protected]
NARAL Pro-Choice America Endorses Future Leaders for Reproductive Freedom in Four Key U.S. House Races
Nation’s leading reproductive freedom advocacy group endorses four U.S. House candidates in Arizona, Illinois, Montana, and New York
Washington, DC—Today, NARAL Pro-Choice America announced four critical endorsements for Congress: Jevin Hodge (AZ-01), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Monica Tranel (MT-01), and Bridget Fleming (NY-01). These candidates are running to represent their respective districts in the U.S. House of Representatives.
NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju released the following statement:
“As we face the fight of our lives, electing leaders who we can count on to safeguard our fundamental rights has never been more important. With MAGA Republicans in Congress planning an outright ban on abortion should they win power, we are fighting seat by seat to ensure these extremists cannot enact their agenda.”
These candidates bring a wealth of experience and strong commitments to protect and advance reproductive freedom in Congress. Jevin Hodge, a long-time community advocate, is a staunch supporter of reproductive freedom and expanding abortion access for all Arizonans. Eric Sorensen, who would make history as the first LGBTQ+ member of Congress from Illinois, has worked to connect vulnerable communities to health services and is committed to protecting abortion rights. Monica Tranel, an attorney fighting for working Montanans, is an advocate for expanded abortion access and has vowed to protect reproductive freedom. Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming, a former member of the Southampton Town Council and prosecutor of sex crimes, has pledged to ensure access to abortion and contraceptives. All four candidates have committed to protecting and expanding abortion access by supporting the Women’s Health Protection Act to lock the federal right to abortion into law.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization—ending the constitutional right to abortion and opening the door for extremist state lawmakers to put total bans on abortion in place. This decision is already having a devastating impact throughout the country as 14 states have begun enforcing extreme bans on abortion. 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.