N.H. Dems join Gwen Walz to counter GOP attacks on abortion rights
As the 2024 election comes down to the wire, Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz and New Hampshire Democrats recently responded to the torrent of attacks on reproductive freedom fueled by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Republican gubernatorial candidate Kelly Ayotte.
“We face a clear choice on the ballot, champions of reproductive freedom or agents of chaos and cruelty,” said Walz. “Donald Trump ran in 2016 on a promise to overturn Roe v. Wade. As president, he handpicked three radical justices who would do just that. Now, your Republican nominee for governor, Kelly Ayotte, played a critical role in this process.”
Walz said that nationwide, one in three women currently live under an abortion ban. She also said that under Trump, it would be easier to buy a gun than it would be to buy birth control.
“When in our history do we think about rights being taken away?” she asked.
In addition, Walz said New Hampshire and Minnesota are allies in the push to safeguard reproductive rights.
“We’re pretty much straight shooters and like people to stay out of our business,” she said. “We share our values, we have a vision of the country and it’s one where we make our own choices.”
According to 270towin.com, New Hampshire has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 2000. Minnesota has not voted Republican in a presidential race since 1972.
U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) said Granite State voters have told her that they do not trust Ayotte given her record in the U.S. Senate.
During her time on Capitol Hill, Ayotte voted for a national abortion ban and to restrict access to in vitro fertilization. She also voted to defund Planned Parenthood on four occasions and advocated for the reversal of Roe vs. Wade.
“That decision has made this a perilous time for women across the country,” said Hassan.
Democratic leaders also agree that under Project 2025, Trump would sign a national abortion ban and force states to report how many women have miscarriages. Although Trump has repeatedly denied having any involvement with Project 2025, his name appears in the document 312 times.
“While Vice President (Kamala) Harris is running as a champion for freedom, we know that if he is returned to power, Donald Trump would ban abortion nationwide,” said Hassan. “In addition to winning the presidency, it’s crucial that we elect a pro-choice governor like Joyce Craig. While Joyce Craig would stand up for a woman’s fundamental freedom, Kelly Ayotte would not.”
Craig said reproductive rights in New Hampshire are particularly vulnerable to the GOP agenda.
“New Hampshire is the only state in New England without proactive legal protections for abortion,” she said, adding that Republican state lawmakers have already introduced a 15-day abortion ban. “As governor, I will protect abortion rights, expand access to reproductive health care, fund Planned Parenthood and veto any legislation that curtails women’s personal liberties. The stakes could not be higher for the future of reproductive freedom here in New Hampshire and across the country. We must elect Vice President Harris and Gov. Tim Walz at the top of the ticket and pro-choice champions down the ballot.”
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) said that when she was governor, the state repealed three 1848 criminal abortion laws with bi-partisan support. However, times have changed.
“It’s really sad to see how extreme the Republican Party has gotten,” she said.
In contrast, Shaheen said Craig has always defended reproductive rights.
“We have a very big choice between Joyce Craig and Kamala Harris, who would protect reproductive freedom, or Kelly Ayotte and Donald Trump who want to further limit access to reproductive care,” said Shaheen.
As of Oct. 27, the national poll from CBS News showed Harris with 50 percent of the vote and Trump with 49 percent.
In addition, history does not favor Trump. According to the Pew Research Center, six former presidents have run for nonconsecutive terms. Only one of them was successful, New York Democrat Grover Cleveland.
In the governor’s race, the Oct. 25 state poll from the WHDH-TV/Emerson College showed Ayotte with 46 percent of the vote and Craig with 43 percent, making it the tightest gubernatorial race in the country.