NARAL Pro-Choice America Endorses Pat Ryan for Election to the U.S. House - Reproductive Freedom for All

Formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America

Press Release

NARAL Pro-Choice America Endorses Pat Ryan for Election to the U.S. House

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, September 6, 2022
Contact: [email protected]

NARAL Pro-Choice America Endorses Pat Ryan for Election to the U.S. House
Pat Ryan earns endorsement of nation’s leading reproductive freedom advocacy group

Washington, DC Today, NARAL Pro-Choice America announced its endorsement of Ulster County Executive and U.S. Representative-elect Pat Ryan in his 2022 bid to represent New York’s 18th Congressional District for a full two-year term. Ryan recently won the special election in NY-19, a battleground district in the Hudson Valley, against anti-choice Republican Marcus Molinaro, where Ryan will serve out the remainder of former Representative Antonio Delgado’s term. Following what has been reported as a “bellwether” win for abortion rights, Ryan will next run against MAGA Assemblyman Colin Schmitt in November.  

NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju released the following statement:

“Our freedom is on the ballot, and U.S. Representative-elect Pat Ryan is the only candidate in this race committed to protecting it. NARAL is organizing voters to elect Ryan in November and ensure his opponent—who voted against legislation to enshrine the right to abortion in New York’s state constitution––is defeated. Together, we’ll be working to re-elect Ryan to a full term in the U.S. House in November so that the majority of voters are heard and can make their own decisions about their lives, families, and futures.”

County Executive and U.S. Representative-elect Pat Ryan released the following statement:

“With reproductive freedom under threat across the country, I’m honored to receive NARAL’s endorsement. I know that my constituents are the only ones who can make their health care decisions, not extreme politicians. As New Yorkers head to the polls in November, they can rest assured that I will always support their right to abortion.”

Pat Ryan has been a leader for reproductive freedom, making abortion rights a central winning issue in his NY-19 special election campaign. He has vowed to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law as he runs to serve a full two-year term to represent New York’s 18th District in Congress. Ryan has been vocal for his support for reproductive rights and abortion access for all New Yorkers. 

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.