Alabama IVF Ruling Highlights the Stakes in NH-Gov Race Where Gov Can Appoint Judges – And Ayotte’s Work Appointing Anti-Abortion Judges

Alabama IVF Ruling Highlights the Stakes in NH-Gov Race Where Gov Can Appoint Judges – And Ayotte’s Work Appointing Anti-Abortion Judges

Ayotte served as “sherpa” for Gorsuch nomination, filling SCOTUS seat Mitch McConnell held open for anti-choice justice

Last week, in the latest attack on reproductive rights, the Alabama Supreme Court handed down a new ruling that threatens access to in vitro fertilization treatment for millions of Americans and could lead state courts across the country to make similar rulings.

The decision also further raises the stakes for the governor’s race in New Hampshire – where the governor has the power to appoint state court justices – and where Republican candidate former U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte has a history of stacking the U.S. Supreme court with anti-choice extremists.

After losing her 2016 reelection campaign to the U.S. Senate, Ayotte proudly served as the “sherpa” for then-Supreme Court nominee and anti-choice extremist Neil Gorsuch, effectively paving the way for the overturning of Roe vs. Wade – a longtime aim of Ayotte’s. Ayotte said she was “honored” to work with Judge Gorsuch, attended “every meeting” with him during his confirmation process, and applauded Gorsuch’s eventual confirmation, saying she was “very pleased” with the outcome.

In the Senate, Ayotte led the charge for a national abortion ban and called for the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, voted repeatedly to defund Planned Parenthood, and worked to make it harder and more expensive for women to fill birth control prescriptions.

Ayotte isn’t alone in her anti-choice extremism. As Senate President, Chuck Morse “proudly led the charge” on passing the state’s abortion ban, and has since bragged that he “made that happen.” Morse has also voted to defund Planned Parenthood, voted to allow pharmacists to refuse to prescribe patients birth control because of their own beliefs, and repeatedly voted against protecting patients from harassment while seeking reproductive health care.

New polling in New Hampshire found that 64% of voters want a governor who will protect abortion rights compared to only 26% who want a governor that would restrict abortion rights, and 67% said that abortion should be legal in either all or most cases.

“Kelly Ayotte’s legacy will always be her work to overturn Roe vs. Wade, including proudly serving as Neil Gorsuch’s ‘sherpa,’ paving the way for the overturning of fundamental abortion rights in states across the country,” said DGA States Press Secretary Emma O’Brien. “With the ruling out of Alabama and these crucial decisions on abortion access coming down to governor-appointed judges, Granite Staters know that they can’t trust Kelly Ayotte or Chuck Morse to make judicial appointments who will rule on their most basic freedoms. Come November, they will vote accordingly.”

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