We’re gearing up for a busy Spring at #VOTEPROCHOICE as we turn our attention to crucial primaries across the country. A significant take away from the Texas primary and the recent win in the PA-18 Special Election continues to be that women are over-performing, per usual, as voters and activists. Our research is playing out in elections across the country, in real time—leading with a prochoice message resonates with the 72% of all voters who support reproductive freedom.
Even though more Republicans ultimately turned out to vote, Texas saw 1 million Democratic voters take to the polls and vote for prochoice champions—the largest Democratic turnout in 17 years. As Rachel Wolfe points out in Vox,“of the nearly 50 women running for Congress in Texas, more than half won their respective primaries or advanced to the runoff. Even more striking, at least three of those runoffs will feature women going head-to-head.”
On the 45th anniversary of the Supreme’s court decision Roe v. Wade, #VOTEPROCHOICE launched the #ROEvolution, our effort to elect 300 prochoice champions up and down the ballot. The #ROEvolution can, quite literally, change the face (and values) of local elected officials who make important decisions. Decisions like whether our kids receive comprehensive, age-appropriate, sex-education, or whether or not protesters can harass people coming to and leaving clinics where they receive a variety of medical services, including STI screenings, access to birth control, and abortions. As of March 14, 2018, we’ve endorsed a total of 52 candidates, of whom 84% identify as women, and 35% of them being people of color. Over 30% of our candidates come from states where reproductive rights are severely restricted. Electing prochoice champions at every level of government in those states will have a tremendous impact on defending our constitutional right to an abortion. Now our attention shifts to Illinois and Colorado where we’ll help elect 17 prochoice champions.
ILLINOIS - Primary Election on March 20
In a recent piece in the Chicago Tribune, Julie Lynn, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood said: “a record number of women are traveling to the state to receive abortions because other midwest states have such restrictive laws making it difficult for people seeking abortions to get the care they need.”The NARAL State Government Map, which outlines abortion laws across the country by state, shows that abortion access is protected in Illinois, but 40% of women live in counties without clinics. But that’s not all—as of 2018, Illinois Parental Notification Laws require clinics to notify a parent or the adult family member if a woman age 17 or younger seeks an abortion unless a judge gives a waiver. The adult family member does not have to give permission for the minor to have an abortion, but an adult family member must be notified. Imagine the complications.
We just released our 2018 Illinois Primary #VOTEPROCHOICE Voter Guide in partnership with our friends at BallotReady and host of great organizational partners. You’ll find our endorsed prochoice champions. Additionally, our Voter Guide includes recommended candidates who support your reproductive rights and freedoms—making it easy to #VOTEPROCHOICE in every election, for every office.
Here are the 2018 #VOTEPROCHOICE IL Prochoice Champions who deserve your vote:
Congressional Prochoice Champions in Illinois:
- Marie Newman - Illinois Congressional District 3 - Proudly Prochoice!
- Sameena Mustafa - Illinois Congressional District 5 - Proudly Prochoice!
- Lauren Underwood - Illinois Congressional District 14 - Proudly Prochoice!
State Legislature Prochoice Champions:
- Alexandra Eidenberg - Illinois House District 17 - Proudly Prochoice!
- Anne Sommerkamp - Illinois House District 47 - Proudly Prochoice!
- Joyce Mason - Illinois House District 61 - Proudly Prochoice!
- Anne Stava-Murray - Illinois House District 81 - Proudly Prochoice!
- Jill Blair - Illinois House District 88 - Proudly Prochoice!
- Jennifer McMillin - Illinois House District 101 - Proudly Prochoice!
Don’t see any local races or candidates above? Check out our IL Primary #VOTEPROCHOICE Voter Guide. The voter guide even includes information on which candidates received the National Rifle Association endorsement, allowing you to be informed when you head to the polls.
COLORADO - Caucuses On-going, Primary Election on June 26
Democratic and Republican voters in Colorado began their election process last week during caucuses on the precinct level. The Denver Post reported that the neighborhood-level gatherings at schools and churches across the state gave candidates an opportunity to qualify for the June Primary ballot and revealed enthusiasm on the Democratic side ahead of the 2018 election.
The Guttmacher Institute highlights the startling statistic that “In 2014, some 78% of Colorado counties had no clinics providing abortions, and 27% of Colorado women live in those counties.” But that’s not all—as of 2018 in the state of Colorado there are the following restrictions on abortion services:
People deserve unfettered access to essential healthcare which includes birth control, preventative care, and yes, even abortion services. That’s why we’ve released our 2018 Colorado Primary #VOTEPROCHOICE Voter Guide in partnership with our friends at BallotReady. We’ve endorsed 8 Prochoice Champions in Colorado. We’ve also provided prochoice recommendations in races where we did not endorse a particular candidate outright. Reproductive rights must be protected, and we urge you to support these prochoice champions either at an upcoming caucus, an upcoming county assembly (April 13-14), or during the State Primary on June 26, 2018.
Here are the 2018 #VOTEPROCHOICE CO Prochoice Champions who deserve your vote:
Congressional Prochoice Champions in Colorado:
- Stephany Rose Spaulding - Colorado Congressional District 5 - Proudly Prochoice!
Statewide & State Legislature Prochoice Champions:
- Joe Salazar - Colorado Attorney General - Proudly Prochoice!
- Faith Winter - Colorado State Senate District 24 - Proudly Prochoice!
- Julie Gonzales - Colorado State Senate District 34 - Proudly Prochoice!
- Ashley Wheeland - Colorado House District 9 - Proudly Prochoice!
- Monica Duran - Colorado House District 24 - Proudly Prochoice!
- Yadira Caraveo - Colorado House District 31 - Proudly Prochoice
Local Prochoice Champions:
- Emma Pinter - Adams County Commissioner, District 3 - Proudly Prochoice!
We’ve got eight months until the general election, but our resistance momentum must hold steady. The Texas Primary and subsequent special election win in Trump CO Pennslyvania shows us the power of our resistance.It’s time to #VOTEPROCHOICE in Illinois and Colorado. It’s the only way we can truly protect our reproductive rights.