Press Release California
Press Release
NARAL Pro-Choice America Endorses Five Candidates for Election in Arizona
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, October 4, 2022
Contact: [email protected]
NARAL Pro-Choice America Endorses Five Candidates for Election in Arizona
Phoenix, AZ — Today, NARAL Pro-Choice Arizona announced its endorsement of five candidates running for election to the Arizona state house. Last week, Arizona became the 15th state to ban abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, making it more important than ever to elect lawmakers supporting reproductive freedom. The Arizona legislature is currently held by a razor-thin, anti-choice Republican majority, and Democrats could potentially flip the majority this November.
NARAL Pro-Choice America Southwest Regional Director Caroline Mello Roberson released the following statement:
“Arizona voters are ready to turn the tide in the state by electing these NARAL-endorsed reproductive freedom candidates and ending the two-vote, anti-choice majority holding abortion rights hostage in the state legislature. Our endorsed leaders are committed to fighting for the overwhelming majority of Arizonans who want decisions about how and when we start or grow a family to be free from political interference. NARAL Pro-Choice Arizona and our 75,000 members across the state are continuing to mobilize voters to elect these candidates so that they can protect and advance our fundamental freedoms.”
State Senate Endorsements:
- Alan Smith (LD 15)
State House Endorsements:
- Rep. Melody Hernandez (LD 08)
- Rep. Athena Salman (LD 08)
- Patricia Contreras (LD 12)
- Brandy Reese (LD 14)
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe 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 15 states, including Arizona, are now enforcing extreme or total bans on abortion. The people hurt most by attacks on reproductive freedom 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 in Arizona during this critical moment in the fight for reproductive freedom. NARAL has previously endorsed Katie Hobbs for governor and Kris Mayes for attorney general, among others. Last month, NARAL announced the launch of the final phase of our “Fight Back for Freedom” electoral program, powered by our 4 million-member strong grassroots movement. 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.