How North Carolina Republicans Should “Engage” on Abortion in 2024

How North Carolina Republicans Should “Engage” on Abortion in 2024

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson: “Let’s say I was the governor and had a willing legislature, we could pass a bill saying you can’t have an abortion in North Carolina for any reason.”

After voters across the country rejected Republicans’ extreme attacks on reproductive freedom last year, the Republican Governors Association said it plans to “encourage GOP candidates to engage on this issue” in 2024.

All this week, the Democratic Governors Association is offering a preview of what it could look like if Republican gubernatorial candidates heed this advice and lean into their extreme and deeply unpopular efforts to restrict abortion in even the most dire circumstances.

We’ll start in North Carolina, where an extreme GOP abortion ban passed last year has guaranteed that this will be “one of the biggest issues on the ballot in 2024.” Frontrunner Lt. Governor Mark Robinson pledged that if elected governor he would sign a law saying “you can’t have an abortion in North Carolina for any reason” — including rape or incest — before claiming he’s “not interested” in talking about the issue anymore.

If Robinson were to follow the RGA’s guidance, he would have plenty to talk about, like how he wants to “continue to move the ball” on passing even more restrictions on abortion access. Meanwhile, his primary opponent Bill Graham has wasted no time attacking Robinson for “not showing enough support” for the state’s abortion ban, further ensuring that GOP efforts to strip away North Carolinians’ rights will remain a central focus of this race from now through November.

“We agree with the RGA: Lt. Governor Mark Robinson should be honest with North Carolinians about how he wants to ban abortion without exception,” said DGA Deputy Communications Director Izzi Levy. “But even as Robinson keeps trying to change the subject, his toxic record is public for all to see, and North Carolina voters know there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to restrict reproductive freedom and deny women the care they need.”