Planned Parenthood Votes Launches Radio Ads in North Carolina and Colorado; Part of Women are Watching Campaign to Get out the Vote for Women’s Health
For Immediate Release: Oct. 23, 2014
WASHINGTON, DC – With early voting beginning today in North Carolina and ballots in voters’ hands in Colorado, Planned Parenthood Votes is launching radio ads urging residents to vote in the U.S. Senate race for the candidates with proven records on women’s health. Planned Parenthood political groups are running their largest-ever turnout effort to educate and mobilize voters around women’s health this November. The campaign, called Women are Watching, makes clear that these are health and economic issues for women and their families, not a political talking point to be dismissed. On Monday, the groups announced that supporters have already knocked more than 1 million doors nationwide and made more than 535,180 phone calls. The groups are also running TV and digital ads in key Senate races including Alaska, Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina and New Hampshire and in gubernatorial races in Pennsylvania, Maine, Florida and Texas.
You can listen to one of the North Carolina ads encouraging listeners to vote early here.
You can listen to the Colorado radio ad featuring Cecile Richards here.
North Carolina: The North Carolina radio ads, which feature a Planned Parenthood Votes volunteer, come on the heels of Thom Tillis’ statement this week that states should be allowed to ban abortion. The ads also explain that his plan for birth control would be “expensive” — costing women up to $600 more a year, and they point out that Thom Tillis would cut North Carolinians off from Planned Parenthood’s basic preventive care. In North Carolina alone, supporters and volunteers have knocked more than 200,270 doors and made more than 157,410 phone calls to North Carolina women and families about the U.S. Senate race.
Colorado: The Colorado radio ad features Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Votes. In the ad, Richards talks about the high stakes for women’s health in the race between women’s health champion Mark Udall and his opponent Cory Gardner, who has recently tried to conceal his extreme record on issues like affordable birth control and abortion. Polling shows that 70 percent of Colorado voters say they are less likely to vote for a candidate who wants to restrict access to birth control and 67 percent are less likely to support a candidate who supports restrictions on abortion. Colorado has rejected statewide “personhood” efforts, which would ban abortion and could interfere with decisions about birth control and fertility treatment, two times by over 70 percent of the vote.
“Planned Parenthood Votes’ message to voters is simple: every vote counts. What happens this November will have enormous consequences for women’s health and rights in this country,” said Dawn Laguens, executive vice president, Planned Parenthood Votes. “Keeping a pro-women’s health majority in the U.S. Senate is our top priority — and it will all come down to a few key races, and a few thousand voters. We’re working around the clock to make sure voters understand the sharp contrast between the candidates when it comes to issues important to women’s health, and that they turn out to vote.”
Radio Script for North Carolina “Vote Early” ad:
Sarah: My name’s Sarah. I work for Planned Parenthood Votes.
Abrion: And my name’s Abrion. I’m a volunteer with Planned Parenthood Votes. I may have knocked on your door.
Sarah: What do you tell people, Abrion?
Abrion: I let people know that Thom Tillis would get rid of the law that requires insurance companies to cover birth control without a copay.
Sarah: That sounds expensive for women.
Abrion: It is. Like six hundred dollars a year more. But that’s not all. Thom Tillis would cut North Carolinians off from Planned Parenthood’s preventive services.
Sarah: So, make birth control cost more, and then cut off basic services. Got it. Anything else?
Abrion: Thom Tillis also wants to outlaw safe, legal abortion.
Sarah: That’s terrible. What should people do about it?
Abrion: Well, you can vote early this year. Find out how by texting “I Am Watching” to 69866.
Sarah: Text “I Am Watching” to 69866. Got it. Anything else?
Abrion: You can say who sponsored this message.
Sarah: Okay. This message is paid for by Planned Parenthood Votes, 212-541-7800, not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. Planned Parenthood Votes is responsible for the content of this advertising,”
In the Colorado radio ad, Cecile Richards says:
This is Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Votes.
For nearly 100 years, women have trusted Planned Parenthood to provide accurate information about some of life’s most important decisions.
So I hope you’ll take this information from Planned Parenthood Votes to heart.
Women can’t trust Cory Gardner in the United States Senate.
Right now, today, Cory Gardner is a co-sponsor of a bill that would ban all abortion and could interfere with access to birth control and fertility treatment.
Gardner’s plans would make contraception more expensive for women, costing many Colorado women up to six hundred dollars a year more.
Again, this is Cecile Richards, making sure you know that Cory Gardner isn’t being honest about his record. And if he doesn’t trust us to make our own private, personal health care decisions, we shouldn’t trust him either.