NARAL Pro-Choice California Endorses 11 Candidates Running to Protect and Expand Reproductive Freedom in the State - Reproductive Freedom for All®

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NARAL Pro-Choice California Endorses 11 Candidates Running to Protect and Expand Reproductive Freedom in the State

For Immediate Release: Thursday, September 8, 2022

California’s leading reproductive freedom advocacy organization endorses 11 candidates

Sacramento — Today, NARAL Pro-Choice California announced its endorsement of 10 candidates running in the 2022 midterm elections for the California State Legislature, as well as Sally Lieber, who is running for the Board of Equalization. These candidates will be strong leaders in the fight for reproductive freedom. 

NARAL Pro-Choice California Director Shannon Olivieri Hovis released the following statement:

“California has a moral obligation to maintain and advance its work as a Reproductive Freedom State now that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. These candidates have made it clear that they will fight to protect our freedom to make our own decisions about our lives, families, and futures—and we’ll be working alongside our over 370,000 members in California to ensure they’re elected in November.”

State Senate Endorsements:

  • Steve Padilla (SD 18)
  • Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (SD 28)
  • Kim Carr (SD 36)

State Assembly Endorsements:

  • Diane Papan (AD 21)
  • Jessica Self (AD 22)
  • Esmeralda Soria (AD 27)
  • Juan Carrillo (AD 39)
  • Corey Jackson (AD 60)
  • Blanca Pacheco (AD 64)
  • Chris Duncan (AD 74) 

Board of Equalization Endorsements:

  • Sally Lieber (Board of Equalization)

These endorsements come as NARAL is ramping up its work to elect candidates up and down the ballot during a critical moment in the fight for reproductive freedom. 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 or total bans on abortion.

In response to nationwide attacks on reproductive freedom, NARAL Pro-Choice California and its allies formed the California Future of Abortion Council (CA FAB Council) to create a blueprint for California’s next steps to safeguard and expand abortion access. As of last week, the entire FAB Council legislative package passed the state legislature and is now awaiting Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature.

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. This set of state-level candidates join 19 previously endorsed leaders for reproductive freedom in open and challenger races in earning the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice California Privacy PAC, California’s statewide, nonpartisan, pro-choice political action committee leading the fight to elect champions for reproductive freedom. Read more about NARAL’s endorsed candidates in California here.

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