The Federal Candidates Threatening Abortion Rights in Alaska

ANCHORAGE, AK — Abortion rights are on the line in November’s election, in Alaska and across the country. Although abortion is currently legal in Alaska, anti-abortion extremists in the U.S. Congress are already preparing to pursue a national abortion ban that would strip us of our reproductive freedom. 

But this November, Alaska voters have a chance to fight back against federal efforts to ban abortion. Control of the U.S. House depends in part on Alaska’s at-large congressional district. And there is no doubt that Mary Peltola’s opponents will jump at the chance to ban abortion if voters send them to DC. 

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v. Wade, Sarah Palin said she’d been “waiting for the day for years.” Nick Begich is the same story. Begich called the devastating Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade a “great day for people who believe in the rule of law and the constitution.” Begich also pledged to oppose any effort by Congress to codify aspects of Roe v. Wade in federal law and said he would “continue to consider” opposing exceptions made for rape and incest. 

Palin and Begich have made their thoughts on abortion clear, and decidedly neither will not be an advocate for the more than 60 percent of Alaskans in favor of abortion rights.

“A lot of people believe that our right to abortion is a given in our state, but that simply isn’t the case,” said Rose O'Hara-Jolley, Alaska State Director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates. “We have to do everything in our power to keep anti-abortion politicians out of office and strike down a harmful constitutional convention. The stakes have never been higher and the threats to our rights are real.”

All people, regardless of where we live or what we look like, deserve to be able to make the best health care choices for ourselves and our families. The decision of when and if to become a parent is one of the most important many of us will make in life. We must defend this right.