LANSING — In neighboring Ohio and across the country last night, voters sent a loud message that they’ll protect a woman’s right to make their own health care decisions. Last night’s results make clear that all of the GOP candidates in the Michigan Senate primary are out-of-step with voters in their support for a dangerous abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest.
Here’s where candidates in Michigan’s “caustic” and “radioactive” Senate primary stand on abortion:
- Mike Rogers backed a dangerous abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest, co-sponsored and voted for anti-choice bills that would have criminalized and banned abortion, and said he supported the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
- Peter Meijer supports a national abortion ban and opposes exceptions for rape and incest. In Congress, Meijer voted against the Women’s Health Protection Act.
- James Craig said he would do “whatever I can” to keep Michigan’s draconian 1931 abortion ban that made no exceptions for rape or incest and criminalized doctors and nurses.
Read about the Michigan Senate GOP candidates’ history on supporting dangerous abortion bans below:
The Gander: Mike Rogers tries to distance Senate campaign from his anti-abortion record
- About two months into his campaign, Rogers appears to have deployed a new strategy for winning over Michigan voters: Hoping Michiganders forget about his 14 years in Congress, and the decades that Rogers spent railing against reproductive rights and lobbying for a nationwide abortion ban.
- Rogers has long made clear that he opposes reproductive freedom in Michigan—including voicing support for a near-total abortion ban in response to an MLive candidate survey in 2010, where he clearly stated “abortions should be legal only to prevent the death of the mother.”
- More recently, after Roe v. Wade and the constitutional right to abortion care was overturned last year, Rogers reportedly told the Daily Mining Gazette that he supported the decision—and vowed to back additional restrictions to care, such as a “full ban on federal funding for abortion.”
- And had he lived in Michigan instead of Florida last year, Rogers told reporters that he would’ve voted against Proposal 3 to cement the right to reproductive freedom—including abortion care—into the state Constitution, which passed with about 56% of the vote last year.
- His congressional record is also littered with votes for anti-abortion bills. In 2012, Rogers voted for a bill that would’ve banned most abortions (without exceptions for rape or incest). And about one year later, he co-sponsored legislation with US Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) that sought to ban and criminalize abortions across the country.
Michigan Advance: GOP gov. candidate James Craig says he supports abortion ban in secret recording
- Republican gubernatorial candidate James Craig said if elected he would block any attempt by Democrats to repeal Michigan’s 90-year-old ban on abortion, according to a secret audio recording obtained by Metro Times.
- Craig is asked if he would stop Democrats “from undoing the law that makes abortion illegal in Michigan.” “I will do whatever I can — I’m pro-life,” Craig responded.
Detroit News: How abortion could affect Michigan swing races for U.S. House this fall
- Meijer supports overturning Roe, which he called “poorly reasoned…”
- If Roe falls, Meijer said he does see a need for federal legislation to ban or restrict abortion… Meijer voted no on the Women’s Health Protection Act…”
- Meijer opposes exceptions for rape or incest
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