Planned Parenthood Action Fund Endorses Cal Cunningham and Deborah Ross to Fight for North Carolinians in Congress
For Immediate Release: March 10, 2020
North Carolina is a top 2020 priority state
RALEIGH, NC — Today, Planned Parenthood Action Fund announced its endorsement of Cal Cunningham for U.S. Senate and Deborah Ross for North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District. North Carolina is a top priority state in 2020. Defeating Senator Thom Tillis is especially urgent, given his leading role in attacks on abortion rights and Planned Parenthood funding in the Senate, and that he has taken every opportunity to take away North Carolinians’ health and rights.
Both Cal Cunningham and Deborah Ross are champions for reproductive health and rights, and with recent redistricting, North Carolinians are poised to elect such candidates. Cal Cunningham has promised to protect abortion access and the Affordable Care Act, which has helped more than half a million people in North Carolina get coverage. In the state legislature, Deborah Ross voted against harmful bills that restricted access to abortion services for those on the state health insurance exchange, legislation that disproportionately impacted people of color to due existing systemic barriers.
This announcement is part of the Action Fund’s continued endorsement of federal candidates committed to reproductive health and rights around the country. For the 13 million Planned Parenthood supporters nationwide, winning a reproductive health majority in the U.S. Senate is a top priority. From judicial nominations to abortion access to funding reproductive health programs to protecting voting rights, Congress makes critical decisions that directly impact Planned Parenthood patients every day.
Statement from Alexis McGill Johnson, Acting President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Action Fund:
“Planned Parenthood Action Fund is proud to endorse Cal Cunningham and Deborah Ross to represent North Carolina in Congress. People in North Carolina want their elected officials to stand up to the Trump administration’s attacks on our health, rights, and freedoms. Both Cal and Deb are dedicated champions of sexual and reproductive health care, and North Carolina needs elected officials like them to fight for access to care in our nation’s capital.”
Statement from Jenny Black, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic:
"North Carolinians deserve champions like Cal Cunningham and Deborah Ross who will fight to protect and expand access to sexual and reproductive health care. North Carolina voters are deeply opposed to Thom Tillis's dangerous political agenda to take away access to health care and gut Roe v. Wade. We will hold him accountable for his unpopular record on reproductive health and rights; we are proud to fight for proven champions like Cal and Deb who we know will fight for us."
Last year, 25 abortion bans passed in states across the country, meaning that people have to cross state lines or unnecessarily wait just to access basic care. In 2018, the American people sent more women and women of color to Congress than ever before, and flipped the House of Representatives to a clear pro-reproductive health majority. In 2020, there is a clear opportunity to flip the Senate and have a Congress that will fully protect people’s health and rights.
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Planned Parenthood Action Fund is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit membership organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The Action Fund engages in educational, advocacy and electoral activity, including grassroots organizing, legislative advocacy, and voter education.