Gwen Walz takes on Kelly Ayotte’s Abortion Record

New Hampshire political leaders joined Gwen Walz, First Lady of Minnesota and wife of 2024 Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz, on a press call last week to sound the alarm on the threats facing abortion access in New Hampshire, placing the state’s gubernatorial election — the most competitive in the nation — at the center of the national battle over reproductive rights.

The speakers reserved their harshest criticism for the Republican nominee, Kelly Ayotte, accusing the former Senator of having a long record of voting to restrict reproductive freedom.

“Donald Trump ran in 2016 on a promise to overturn Roe versus Wade, and as president, he hand picked three radical justices who would do just that,” Walz said. 

“Now, New Hampshire, your Republican nominee for governor, Kelly Ayotte, played a critical role in this process. She was in charge of getting Neil Gorsuch confirmed to the Supreme Court, where he helped build the majority to overturn Roe in a legacy of shame.”

Outspoken about her own fertility journey, Walz warned that Ayotte’s past actions have had consequences far beyond New Hampshire.

“The choice could not be more clear between Joyce Craig and Kelly Ayotte, and that is a similar clarity to what we see between Tim Walz, Kamala Harris and JD Vance and Donald Trump,” she said.

Walz joined Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, as well as Democratic nominee for governor Joyce Craig, to draw a stark contrast between the candidates’ positions on this critical issue.

“Kelly Ayotte voted for a national abortion ban, voted to defund Planned Parenthood four times, and she voted to restrict access to IVF,” said Craig. “Women cannot trust Kelly Ayotte to protect their fundamental freedom.”

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Shaheen, who previously served as New Hampshire’s governor, recalled repealing the state’s 1848 laws that criminalized abortion during her time in office. She contrasted that bipartisan effort with the modern Republican party’s extreme positions on the issue.

“It’s really sad to see how extreme the Republican Party has gotten, and to see that they don’t really reflect the views of most of the American people, and certainly don’t reflect the views of the people of New Hampshire,” Shaheen said.

Senator Hassan echoed those sentiments, warning that Ayotte’s past votes demonstrate she would not stand up for women’s rights as governor.

“Look at how she has voted as the US senator. She voted for a national abortion ban, she voted to defund Planned Parenthood, and she voted to restrict access to IVF,” Hassan said. “So make no mistake, Kelly Ayotte will not stand up for our families or our freedom when it really counts.”

The speakers argued that Ayotte’s recent attempts to reposition herself as a defender of reproductive rights should not be trusted, given her long record of opposing abortion access.

“Kelly knows her record is too damaging to win, so she’s trying to rewrite it in real time,” Craig said. “But the facts are clear, no matter how many election year lies she tries to tell Granite Staters, women cannot trust Kelly Ayotte to protect their fundamental freedom.”

They urged voters to make their voices heard at the ballot box in November, casting their support for candidates who will protect the freedom to make personal healthcare decisions. 

“When it comes to decisions about our own bodies and our own lives, it is our choice, not JD Vance’s and, heaven forbid, Donald Trump’s,” Walz declared.

With the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the speakers warned that the future of abortion access hangs in the balance. They argued that electing a pro-choice governor like Joyce Craig is crucial to safeguarding reproductive freedom in the Granite State.

“Kelly knows her record is too damaging to win, so she’s trying to rewrite it in real time,” Craig said. “But the facts are clear, no matter how many election year lies she tries to tell Granite Staters, women cannot trust Kelly Ayotte to protect their fundamental freedom.”