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On Dobbs Anniversary, Mikie Sherrill Lays Out Plans to Protect Reproductive Freedom in New Jersey

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On Dobbs Anniversary, Mikie Sherrill Lays Out Plans to Protect Reproductive Freedom in New Jersey

To mark the third anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision, New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mikie Sherrill slammed her anti-abortion opponent Jack Ciattarelli for his plans to undermine abortion rights while championing protections for access to care in New Jersey.

While Sherrill will stand up for the rights and freedoms of New Jerseyans, Ciattarelli has voted to restrict abortion rights, pledged to defund Planned Parenthood, bragged about his plans to stack the state Supreme Court with conservatives, and refuses to name a single issue where he disagrees with Donald Trump — including overturning Roe v. Wade.

Read more about the contrast on reproductive freedom in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race:

New Jersey Globe: On Dobbs anniversary, Sherrill says she’s best choice to protect abortion

  • On the third anniversary of a Supreme Court decision that upended abortion access in much of the country, Rep. Mikie Sherrill highlighted her pledge to protect abortion rights in New Jersey.

  • The Planned Parenthood Action Fund endorsed Sherrill on Tuesday morning.

  • “Today marks three years since Roe was overturned in the Dobbs decision,” Sherrill said. “Before that day, we all thought our rights were safe. I grew up in a world with those protections. I was born in 1972, so I didn’t really know a world without Roe protections. And then when that decision came down, we were all horrified and we were angry, but we can’t be caught flat-footed again.”

  • Sherrill and Ciattarelli have sparred over the appointment of justices to the New Jersey Supreme Court, which could have consequences on abortion in the state (as well as every other issue). Ciattarelli has said he would appoint conservatives to the state’s high court; in a social media post, Sherrill said those judges would be anti-abortion.

  • Sherrill also argues that Ciattarelli’s close ties to President Donald Trump could undermine abortion rights in the state. She criticized Ciattarelli’s statement that he would not sue the Trump White House and said he supported budgets that defunded Planned Parenthood.

  • “As governor, I’m committed to defending abortion rights and access to reproductive care, and with the help of providers and advocates across the state we’re going to defeat Jack and protect our freedom in New Jersey,” she said.

New Jersey Monitor: Governor hopefuls spar over abortion on anniversary of Supreme Court ruling

  • Sherrill, speaking to reporters Tuesday, painted her Republican opponent as a “Trump lackey” and a threat to the rights she said she’s fought to protect during her time in Congress. Sherrill supports adding abortion rights to the state’s constitution.

  • “Jack opposed allowing women to receive 12 months of contraception coverage. He supported Chris Christie’s budgets that defunded Planned Parenthood. He said as governor he would defund Planned Parenthood, and he said he would sign an abortion ban,” Sherrill said. “So, with one stroke of a pen, Jack could begin to take away the freedom we know and love right here in New Jersey.”

  • Sherrill, who was endorsed Tuesday by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey, also warned that Ciattarelli intends to elect far-right members to the state Supreme Court, where they could upend reproductive rights in the Garden State.

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