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With Lack of Protection From Supreme Court, Republican Governors and Candidates Wage War On Reproductive Rights

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Republican governors have been fighting to strip away women’s reproductive freedoms for decades — and with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last week GOP governors and candidates for governor have gone all-in on dangerous plans to restrict reproductive freedom, criminalize medical providers like nurses and doctors, and are refusing to rule out even more extreme bans on contraception and other forms of reproductive health care.

“With the federal protection of Roe v. Wade gone, Republicans will stop at nothing to enact the most dangerous and out-of-touch abortion restrictions in their states,” said DGA Communications Director David Turner. “Democratic governors are the only thing standing in their way. The stakes could not be higher — we must elect and reelect Democratic governors this November.”

Here’s what Republican governors and candidates have done or pledged to do to restrict the right to choose:

  • Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed an extreme abortion ban that would have put abortion health care providers in prison for 10 to 99 years or life. The ban had no exceptions for rape or incest and was blocked by a federal judge shortly before coming into effect.
  • Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed a “near-total ban” on abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest. Ducey has signed every piece of anti-abortion legislation that has reached his desk since taking office in 2015.
  • Arizona GOP Candidate Karrin Taylor Robson called Arizona’s 15-week abortion-ban “appropriate” and has supported bringing a Texas-style abortion ban.
  • Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed a bill banning abortion without exceptions for rape or incest.
  • Colorado GOP Candidate Greg Lopez has said that he believes there should be no exceptions to an abortion ban, and he would work to implement a complete ban if elected.
  • Colorado GOP Candidate Heidi Ganahl said she supports a ballot initiative to ban abortions in Colorado and submitted testimony against a measure protecting abortion rights at the state level.
  • Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a measure banning abortions without exceptions for cases where pregnancies were caused by rape, incest, or human trafficking. With Roe gone, he has vowed to restrict reproductive rights further.
  • Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill into law banning abortions before most women know they are pregnant and has promised to restrict rights further, while also opposing exceptions for rape and incest.
  • Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed two bills, the first of which allows people to file civil lawsuits against medical professionals who perform abortions. The second prohibits almost all abortions.
  • Illinois GOP Candidate Richard Irvin has said he’s “pro-life” but refuses to answer whether he’d allow abortion in the case of rape, incest, or danger to the mother’s life. Irvin’s running mate, Avery Bourne, opposes any exceptions for rape or incest.
  • Illinois GOP Candidate Darren Bailey earned an endorsement from the Right to Life after he announced that he would repeal state protections to abortion if elected governor. Bailey has said he wants to outlaw abortion, even in cases of rape and incest.
  • Illinois GOP Candidate Jesse Sullivan supports a near-total ban on abortion.
  • Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a proclamation last week calling lawmakers back to the statehouse for a special session to pass extreme anti-choice restrictions.
  • Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is spearheading efforts to restrict abortion rights in Iowa. In 2020, Reynolds signed a bill requiring a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion can be performed, and recently celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
  • Kansas GOP Candidate Derek Schmidt backed the Dobbs decision and concurred with the idea that Roe was wrong from the start. He also supported an amendment which could lead to a total abortion ban in Kansas.
  • Maryland GOP Candidate Dan Cox called the overturning of Roe “a day to rejoice” and has sponsored several bills this year to restrict abortion access. He said as governor he would cut funding for reproductive health care services.
  • Michigan GOP Candidate Garrett Soldano said “I will do everything in my power” to pass a Texas-style abortion ban. Soldano is notorious for saying that rape victims who get pregnant shouldn’t get abortions because “God put them in this moment” and “that little baby inside them may be the next president.”
  • Michigan GOP Candidate Kevin Rinke stated he would enforce Michigan’s draconian 1931 abortion ban that criminalizes abortion, makes felons out of reproductive health care providers, and provides no exceptions for rape or incest.
  • Michigan GOP Candidate Ryan Kelley celebrated Roe being overturned and has said he supports banning abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest.
  • Michigan GOP Candidate Tudor Dixon called Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban, which has no exceptions for rape or incest, a “good law.”
  • Minnesota GOP Candidate Scott Jensen said that he would try to ban abortion entirely if elected governor.
  • Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed a proclamation banning abortions without exceptions for rape or incest. The act will also create criminal punishments for reproductive health care providers.
  • Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed three bills restricting abortion access in Montana. The bills ban many abortions, force health care providers to give pregnant women an opportunity to view an ultrasound, and place several restrictions on abortion pills.
  • Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, co-chair of the Republican Governors Association, supports banning abortion without exceptions for rape or incest. He says he will call a special session to get an abortion ban passed as soon as possible.
  • Nevada GOP Nominee Joe Lombardo supports overturning Nevada’s abortion protections, going against the overhwelming majority of Nevadans who support the right to choose. When asked if he would consider other limits such as mandatory waiting periods and contraception bans, he said, “yes, absolutely.”  Lombardo promised to look at all legislation with an anti-choice lens and says nothing is off the table when it comes to limiting abortion.
  • New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill that bans abortions, even in the case of rape, incest, and fatal fetal anomaly. Sununu boasted about the ban, claiming, “I’ve done more on the pro-life issue, if you will, than anyone.”
  • New Mexico GOP Candidate Mark Ronchetti has repeatedly peddled extreme anti-choice positions. He is self-described as “strongly pro-life” and supports rolling back reproductive rights.
  • North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum applauded the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe, which will trigger an abortion ban in the state.
  • Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine told anti-choice allies he would seek to implement the abortion ban he signed in 2019 and “go as far as we can” to prohibit abortions.
  • Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill that bans abortion, without any exception for rape or incest. It also allows private citizens to sue someone who performs an abortion, intends to perform an abortion, or helps someone obtain an abortion. Stitt signed another bill that makes it a felony to perform an abortion and said his goal is to outlaw abortion entirely.
  • Pennsylvania GOP Nominee Doug Mastriano has said abortion is his “number one issue” and supports banning abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest. One of the first bills Mastriano introduced as a Senator bans abortions after the fetus has developed a heartbeat and he’s said that doctors who perform abortions in Pennsylvania should and will be punished if he wins the governor’s race.
  • South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed a bill into law that bans abortions before most women know they are pregnant and criminalizes providers.
  • South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem pushed for an abortion ban exactly like the dangerous law in Texas, which gives  private citizens the ability to take legal action against someone receiving an abortion. It was so extreme even her fellow South Dakota Republicans blocked it. She’s also planning to ban abortion bills prescribed online.
  • Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. He signed a ban on abortion, without exceptions for rape or incest, and made it a class C felony for a doctor to perform an abortion after six weeks.
  • Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ensured that abortion is essentially illegal in Texas. Abbott banned abortion after six weeks and gave citizens the ability to sue abortion providers or anyone who aids someone in getting an abortion.
  • Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has compared abortion to slavery and publicly supported banning abortion. After the Supreme Court ruling, Cox tweeted in support of the decision.
  • Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is calling on the legislature to pass a 15-week abortion ban in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling.
  • West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice celebrated the overturning of Roe, which will trigger a ban making all abortions illegal in West Virginia with no exceptions to protect the life and health of the mother and no exceptions for the victims of rape and incest.
  • Wisconsin GOP Candidate Kevin Nicholson vowed he would ban abortion “in all cases” during his failed Senate campaign in 2018 and recently said he wouldn’t add any exceptions for rape or incest to Wisconsin’s century-old abortion ban. Nicholson also said he would support a “personhood” law that could criminalize certain forms of birth control and restrict access to IVF treatments.
  • Wisconsin GOP Candidate Rebecca Kleefisch, who once agreed women who are raped should “turn lemons into lemonade,” supports banning abortion with no exceptions for cases of rape or incest.
  • Wisconsin GOP Candidate Tim Michels has supported banning abortions without exception and has said it’s “not unreasonable” to force a mother to go through with birth in the case of rape.

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