Des Moines, Iowa—Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa PAC today announced its endorsement of reproductive freedom champion Deidre DeJear in the Iowa governor’s race.
DeJear, a small business owner who became the first Black woman to earn the Democratic nomination in a statewide race in Iowa when she ran for Secretary of State, stands firmly for reproductive freedom and will protect Iowans’ right to safe and legal abortion as governor.
Since 2017, Governor Reynolds and Republican politicians have stripped away Iowa’s support for sexual and reproductive health care. The state has seen a sharp decrease in Iowans accessing family planning services, including birth control, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment, and annual exams. The state saw a more than 40 percent increase in abortions during the past two years and maternal mortality rates continue to skyrocket, with mothers today more likely to die than 30 years ago.
Gov. Reynolds and Republican lawmakers continue to insert themselves between a patient and their doctor with efforts to ban abortion in Iowa. And since the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, state politicians now have more power over Iowans’ reproductive rights.
“As Governor, Deidre DeJear will protect Iowans’ reproductive freedom and ability to decide when and how to have a family,” said Mazie Stilwell, Director of Public Affairs for the Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa PAC. “While Gov. Kim Reynolds and her GOP accomplices work to take away our bodily autonomy, Deidre will defend the right of all Iowans to access affordable, high quality reproductive health care, including safe and legal abortion. Regardless of how we each individually feel about abortion, politicians do not belong in the exam room. Deidre will fight to protect each person’s right to make the best decisions for them.”
The latest Iowa poll shows a record 60 percent of Iowans support safe, legal abortion. Iowans need a leader that stands up for reproductive freedom and with the will of the people.
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Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa (PPAI) PAC, established in 1998, is an independent, nonpartisan political action committee focused on supporting candidates for state and local office who are steadfast in their support for women’s health, health care access, and reproductive rights.
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