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Historic turnout and record-high support for abortion rights propelled other reproductive health champions to victory in Georgia

GEORGIA — The high-stakes election for Georgia’s next U.S. senator is now headed to a runoff that could decide control of the Senate and the future of abortion rights in America.

Who Georgians elect on Dec. 6 could determine whether abortion is protected or banned at the federal level. If Georgians re-elect Planned Parenthood Action Fund-endorsed candidate Sen. Raphael Warnock, he will be a critical vote to finally pass the Women’s Health Protection Act and restore federal abortion rights. In stark contrast, Herschel Walker could be the final vote an anti-abortion rights Senate needs to consider a national ban.

Statement from Amy Kennedy, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Votes in Georgia:

“The fight for reproductive freedom is not over, and abortion rights for all Americans are now on the ballot in Georgia. We get to decide what kind of country we live in: one where politicians dictate our most personal medical decisions, or one where we are free to control our own bodies and everyone can access the health care they need. Georgians have the power and responsibility to elect a leader we can trust to restore and protect abortion rights for all, and that leader is Sen. Raphael Warnock.”

After the U.S. Supreme Court ended the federal constitutional right to abortion and paved the way for Gov. Brian Kemp’s six-week abortion ban to take effect in Georgia, millions of Georgians were outraged and turned their anger into organizing. That momentum continued with historic voter turnout — including more than 500,000 new voters registering before the midterm election, record-breaking early voting, and nearly 4 million total ballots cast — that propelled abortion rights champions to victory in other important races. Planned Parenthood Action Fund-endorsed candidates Sanford Bishop, Hank Johnson, Nikema Williams, Lucy McBath, and David Scott all won their elections for U.S. Congressional districts GA-02, GA-04, GA-05, GA-07, and GA-13, respectively. These crucial wins further prove that voters want their elected officials to be bold champions for abortion rights.

While reproductive health care champion Stacey Abrams ultimately came up short in the face of historic headwinds and disinformation campaigns, the gubernatorial election results do not change the fact that the majority of Georgians — like the majority of all Americans — want abortion to be safe and legal. Nearly 70% of Georgia voters opposed the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and more than half oppose Brian Kemp’s abortion ban. At 74%, opposition to Kemp’s ban is even stronger among Black Georgians who experience disproportionately higher rates of maternal mortality and pregnancy complications in the state.

Recent polling further demonstrates that Black women voters in Georgia — who transformed the state’s political landscape in 2020 and again played a critical role in this year’s historic turnout — overwhelmingly support abortion access and cite reproductive freedom as a top motivating issue.

Planned Parenthood supporters worked around the clock to elect reproductive health care champions in Georgia and reached out to hundreds of thousands of voters through door-to-door canvassing, phone- and text-banking, volunteer efforts, rallies and events, ad campaigns, and more. Planned Parenthood Votes’ growing seven-figure investment in Georgia is part of Planned Parenthood advocacy and political organizations’ $50 million electoral program, “Take Control,” which represents the groups’ largest-ever investment in a campaign cycle.

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Planned Parenthood Votes is an independent expenditure political committee registered with the Federal Election Commission and an independent committee registered with the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission.

Paid for by Planned Parenthood Votes, 123 William St, NY NY 10038. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

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