Republican Senate candidates hit back at Democrats’ abortion bomb ads

Republican Senate candidates are clarifying positions on abortion as Democrats try to portray the GOP as having « extremist » pro-life positions, hoping the issue will motivate their base to go to the polls in November.

Tiffany Smiley, the GOP candidate challenging Democratic Senator Patty Murray in Washington state, released an ad Thursday in which she accused the incumbent of falsely attacking her stance on abortion by saying she wanted a ban abortion national.

« Patty Murray has spent millions portraying me as an extremist. I’m pro-life but I oppose a federal ban on abortion, » Smiley says in her ad. She goes on to say that « Patty Murray wants to scare you, I want to serve you. »

Democrats have embraced abortion as a key midterm issue following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned nearly 50 years of acknowledging court precedent. a constitutional right to abortion. The majority opinion, written by Judge Samuel Alito and joined by four other justices appointed by Republican presidents, determined that the Constitution and the courts, until the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, did not protect abortion in as a fundamental human right.

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In Arizona, Republican candidate Blake Masters also posted a video on social media on Thursday in which he said he supports a ban on late-term and partial abortion, and accused Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of lying about her views on abortion.

Kelly funded an ad that states Masters « supports a total ban on abortion. Rape. Incest. No exceptions, » the ad reads.

« Mark Kelly is voting for the most extreme abortion laws in the world, » Masters said in his Thursday video, pointing out that the Women’s Health Protection Act is « more extreme than Western Europe, c is way more extreme than the Arizonan wants. »

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The only countries with positions on abortion similar to Kelly’s, Masters said, are China and North Korea.

Smiley « firmly believes that decisions regulating abortion belong as much as possible to the voters, that is, to the United States, » a campaign spokeswoman told Fox News Digital, saying she supports the Hyde amendment which prevents taxpayers’ money from financing abortion. Murray, on the other hand, called for the creation of an abortion fund to help women get abortions, as well as an end to the Hyde Amendment.

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« The real hardliner in this race is Patty Murray, who supports taxpayer-funded abortions on demand at all times, even up to the moment of birth, » Smiley said.

Masters also said Kelly supported abortion up until the moment of birth, based on her vote for the Women’s Health Protection Act that ultimately failed. The bill would make it impossible for states to ban abortion at any time during the first or second trimester of a pregnancy (before the unborn baby’s viability to survive outside the womb), and would prohibit any limitations of « abortion after fetal viability when, in the good faith medical judgment of the treating health care provider, continuation of the pregnancy would pose a risk to the life or health of the pregnant patient. »

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Some media have accused Masters of backtracking. NBC reported that Masters also changed some terms on his website, removing a statement that he was « 100% pro-life, » but Masters’ campaign told Fox News his stance on abortion had no effect. not changed and that it updated its website frequently.

His campaign also referred Fox to an interview Masters gave to the Arizona Republic, where he said he supported a federal ban on third-trimester abortions, adding that a personality amendment could help that. He said « I would look at the Arizona law (15 weeks) and say I’m okay with that. I think it’s a reasonable solution, reflecting where the electorate is. »

Republican candidate for Senator Blake Masters speaks during a ‘Save America’
(Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Last week, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet ran an ad on Thursday attempting to paint his Republican opponent Joe O’Dea as someone who wants to ban all abortions. However, O’Dea is much more pro-choice than most of his party.

« Michael Bennet has always fought for a woman’s right to make her own health decisions, but Joe O’Dea opposes the law protecting abortion access in Colorado, » said said a Coloradan in Bennet’s ad. « O’Dea would have voted to uphold Trump’s Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, » another person said.

« That’s just not true, » O’Dea told Fox News Digital of his announcement, repeating his stance that he opposes late-term abortions but believes that early in a pregnancy, the A woman’s decision to discontinue should be « between her, her doctor, and her God. » He also opposed the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, which overturned nearly 50 years of legal precedent protecting abortion as a constitutional right.

Prominent pro-life activist Lila Rose, founder and president of Live Action, warned Republican candidates against changing positions for political expediency in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“Children deserve strong advocacy, not compromises that cost them their lives. Our unborn children are living, distinct members of the human family. They are little Americans and they deserve equal protection under the law that guaranteed to them by our Constitution. It means ending the unjust and violent murder of abortion, » Rose said.

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Rose suggested that GOP candidates were more forceful on pro-life positions when running for the Republican nomination.

“Pro-life candidates have understood this truth in their primary battles, and they cannot afford to alienate their base as we head into the general election. It is not smart policy to induce in error or disengage from the voter base you need to turn in. Pro-life candidates must stay true to their word and campaign on the issue of saving lives to ensure that pro-life voters lives are stimulated and go to the polls,” Rose said.