Champions in key Senate races take the debate stage hitting opponent’s anti-abortion records – WisPolitics

With the fate of abortion access on the line, reproductive freedom champions in key races for the U.S. Senate will take the debate stage in the coming days. 

The debates come as abortion continues to mobilize voters nationwide. Not only do 8 in 10 Americans say the decision to have an abortion should be made by the person who is pregnant, but it is the top issue for women under 45 years old, even above the economy, according to a recent New York Times Sienna College poll. It is the issue driving this election up and down the ballot, and while every one of these five Republican senate candidates received an endorsement from Donald Trump, it’s clear abortion is the issue making the GOP run scared.

See below for the candidate’s records on abortion as they face off.

Arizona’s U.S. Senate Race: Rep. Ruben Gallego and Kari Lake

In Arizona, Rep. Ruben Gallego and Kari Lake will take the debate stage on October 9, weighing in ahead of one of the most crucial Senate races in the country. Arizona’s extreme abortion ban continues to raise the stakes for voters in November to elect reproductive freedom champion Rep. Ruben Gallego, who will vote to restore federal protections for abortion and expand access.

During his time in Congress, Rep. Gallego has been a champion for reproductive freedom by supporting key legislation like the Women’s Health Protection Act and the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act, which would advance abortion access and reproductive freedom and also repeal the Hyde Amendment.

Republican Kari Lake has championed the 1864 total abortion ban that the Arizona Supreme Court ruled to reinstate criminalizing people who seek and provide abortion care in the state. While on the campaign trail, Lake has spoken at length about her support for the ban, calling it a “great law.” She also called for Arizona to adopt a “carbon copy” of Texas’ vigilante-enforced abortion ban, SB 8, a law that banned nearly all abortions and put a bounty on anyone who would try to help a person trying to access abortion care.

Let’s also not forget Lake kicked off her senate bid with the backing of Donald Trump, who is responsible for appointing the justices who overturned Roe and has already made it clear he will sign an abortion ban if given the chance to.

Maryland’s U.S. Senate Race: Angela Alsobrooks and Larry Hogan

On October 10, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan will take the stage for a debate. Angela Alsobrooks is an unapologetic champion for reproductive freedom who has vowed to work to restore the federal right to abortion. 

Though Hogan has repeatedly tried to claim the opposite, the truth is he has a record of anti-abortion extremism. He has not only said that he will fall in line with the Republican Party (the same one who wants to ban all abortion) should he win in November, but vetoed a bill that would have expanded abortion access in Maryland, repeatedly refused to commit to supporting legislation to restore the federal right to abortion nationwide, and dismissed the need to protect abortion in Maryland’s state constitution, claiming abortion is just “an emotional issue for women” and that there is “no threat to the protection of these rights.”

Michigan’s U.S. Senate Race: Rep. Elissa Slotkin and Mike Rogers

Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin and former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers will take the debate stage again on Oct. 14 airing on locally hosted radio stations. Slotkin is working tirelessly to lock in our fundamental freedoms, including supporting the Women’s Health Protection Act, the Right to Contraception Act, and the Access to Family Building Act to provide federal protections for IVF. Slotkin has also co-sponsored the Momnibus package to support access to maternal health care.

Rogers’ record on abortion is abundantly clear: He wants to “enshrine fetal personhood in the Constitution,” has “consistently voted” for abortion bans, and celebrated the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. He not only supports a national abortion ban but twice co-sponsored legislation to withdraw federal approval of the abortion medication mifepristone, a safe and effective medication that is used in the most common method of abortion care. Rogers even said he would have voted against Prop 3 if he lived in Michigan at the time.

Recognizing that voters want nothing to do with Republicans’ anti-abortion agenda, Rogers in last night’s debate tried to hide his hostility towards reproductive freedom with lies and deception. But his comments prove what we already know—his position has not changed.

Nevada’s U.S. Senate Race: Sen. Jacky Rosen and Sam Brown

Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen will debate Republican Sam Brown on Oct. 17. Brown already has a decades-long anti-abortion record, supporting some of the most extreme abortion bans in the country, including Texas’ ban while Sen. Rosen has a proven track record of fighting to protect abortion access including championing the Women’s Health Protection Act in the Senate and introducing legislation to protect those seeking an abortion and doctors from prosecution.

Brown has gone on record supporting another state’s abortion ban, saying, “On issues of life, that is a nonnegotiable for me, we’ve got to do everything we can to empower our state.” As a U.S. Senate candidate last cycle, Brown strongly supported overturning Roe v. Wade and considered it a litmus test for potential Supreme Court justices. After refusing to answer questions on Nevada’s abortion ballot measure, Brown was caught on tape admitting that he would vote against the amendment. 

Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate Race: Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Eric Hovde

Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin will debate Republican Eric Hovde on Oct. 18 hosted by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation. On the debate stage, we know we can count on Sen. Baldwin to expose Eric Hovde’s extremist opposition to reproductive freedom and share her vision to protect and expand abortion rights and access. 

Senator Baldwin has been a leader in the fight to restore and expand reproductive rights. During her time in the Senate, Baldwin has been the lead sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act and the Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act to provide grants to offset travel-related costs. 

Eric Hovde has been clear he wants to restrict abortion access, declaring himself “totally opposed to abortion.” He proudly proclaimed his opposition to Roe v. Wade, and recently said an abortion ban would be “reasonable.” Hovde is endorsed by an extremist anti-abortion group whose mission is to make abortion “legally unacceptable.” They endorsed him citing he showed “strong support for federal right-to-life issues.”