AP Photo/Alex Brando
Perennial candidate Kari Lake, the presumptive Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Arizona, expressed her discontent with a ruling enforcing a near-total ban on abortion in the Grand Canyon State on Tuesday.
“In addition to covering the state of Arizona as a fair and honest journalist for 27 years, I have traveled to every corner of this state on the campaign trail. I speak to more Arizonans than anyone and it is abundantly clear that the pre-statehood law is out of step with Arizonans,” wrote Lake in a statement. “I am the only woman and mother in this race. I understand the fear, anxiety and joy of pregnancy and motherhood. I wholeheartedly agree with President Trump — this is a very personal issue that should be determined by each individual state and her people. I oppose today’s ruling, and am calling on Katie Hobbs and the State Legislature to come up with an immediate common sense solution that Arizonans can support.”
The statement went on to promise that Lake would oppose both federal funding for abortion and federal restriction on abortion if she is elected to the Senate this November.
Kari Lake on Arizona’s abortion ruling: “I oppose today’s ruling, and I am calling on Katie Hobbs and the State Legislature to come up with an immediate common sense solution that Arizonans can support.” pic.twitter.com/ThV8Qmw3T9
— Kadia Goba (@kadiagoba) April 9, 2024
Notably, this marks a complete reversal from Lake. During her 2022 gubernatorial campaign, Lake said she was “thrilled that we are going to have a great law that’s already on the books.”
“I believe it’s ARS 13-3603, so it will prohibit abortion in Arizona except to save the life of a mother. And I think we’re going to be paving the way and setting course for other states to follow,” she added, identifying the statute that was upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court on Tuesday.
