(OLYMPIA, WA) – Republicans may not be supportive of codifying a legal right to abortion on a federal level, but Washington gubernatorial candidate Dave Reichert says that he won’t alter the state’s reproductive healthcare laws if elected.
Reichert reaffirmed that position on Monday via social media.
“I’ll leave medical decisions where they belong: between women and their doctors,” Reichert said.
During his tenure in Congress, Reichert voted against federal funding for abortions and voted for a bill which would have prohibited abortion after the 20-week pregnancy mark nationally.
Kaiser Family Foundation polling released in March suggests that abortion may be a tricky topic for Republicans in the upcoming 2024 general election considering the importance of the issue to younger female voters. The national party, including former president Donald Trump, have pivoted away from the issue in recent months.
Reichert’s main opponent in the governor’s race, Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D), has repeatedly characterized him as ‘anti-choice,’ citing his federal voting record against abortion rights.
Ferguson’s campaign, which was endorsed by Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates in May, touted his record on reproductive rights on Monday.