Press Release
NARAL Pro-Choice America Congratulates Sara Gideon on Her Victory in Maine Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate
For Immediate Release: July 15, 2020
Contact: [email protected]
Today NARAL-endorsed candidate Sara Gideon won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Maine. Gideon will now face incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins in November’s general election. While Sen. Collins masquerades as a supporter of reproductive freedom, Sara Gideon is a proven champion who will actually stand up for women and families in Maine and represent their values in the U.S. Senate.
In response to Sara Gideon’s victory, NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue released the following statement:
“Electing a pro-choice majority in the Senate is critical to protecting reproductive freedom, and Sara Gideon is the champion we need to replace Senator Susan Collins in November. Susan Collins has made clear where her allegiances truly lie and the women and families of Maine simply cannot count on her to safeguard their rights.
For too long, Senator Collins has provided Mainers with nothing but lip service when it comes to protecting reproductive freedom. In 2018, she cast the deciding vote to put anti-choice extremist Justice Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court. Her repeated false claims that Kavanaugh would respect precedent were exposed last week when he predictably chose to ignore precedent in June v. Russo to further a wildly unpopular agenda of gutting reproductive freedom.
Sara Gideon on the other hand is the leader Mainers need to fight for them in Washington. She showed real leadership in expanding access to abortion care in Maine and willstand up to Mitch McConnell, Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s attacks on our ability to chart our own futures. NARAL congratulates her on her primary victory, and we cannot wait to spend the coming months working to send another champion for reproductive freedom to the Senate.”
As Maine Speaker of the House, Sara Gideon fought tirelessly for Maine women and families, unlike Sen. Susan Collins who claims to be a supporter of reproductive freedom, but put our fundamental rights in jeopardy when she voted to confirm Justice Neil Gorsuch in 2017 and cast the deciding vote to confirm Kavanaugh to the Court despite public outcry across the country and Mainers’ overwhelming opposition to his nomination in 2018.
On June 29, NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue held a virtual event with Senate Candidate Sara Gideon, the same day the Supreme Court released its decision in June Medical Services LLC v. Russo. The two leaders were joined by 150 NARAL Pro-Choice America members to discuss the Court’s ruling, the importance of expanding access to reproductive healthcare, and why we must hold Sen. Susan Collins accountable for her vote to confirm Justice Kavanaugh and flip the Senate.
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NARAL Pro-Choice America and its network of state affiliates and chapters are dedicated to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom for all. For more than 50 years, NARAL has worked to guarantee that every woman has the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. Since 1969, NARAL has made history, grown to over 2.5 million members, and met the moments that have defined this fight with action, power, and freedom. In recognition of its work defending our constitutional right to choose, Fortune Magazine described NARAL as “one of the top 10 advocacy groups in America.”