June 25th, 2022

What elected officials, candidates in Linn County
have to say about the overturning of Roe v. Wade

What are our elected officials in Linn County saying (or not saying) regarding Friday's Supreme Court ruling on social media? As of this post, here's what we've got:
𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻: Governor Kate Brown
Abortion is health care, and no matter who you are or where you come from, Oregon doesn’t turn away anyone seeking health care.
This disgraceful Supreme Court decision will put lives at risk and strips away a constitutional right that has been settled law for most of our lifetimes.
For all the Americans today feeling scared, angry and disappointed — for everyone who needs an abortion and does not know where they can access safe reproductive health care – please know you are not alone, and the fight is not over.
𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝘆𝗱𝗲𝗻: Ron Wyden (up for re-election and we've endorsed)
We knew this day was coming, but that doesn't make it any less devastating and disheartening.
Today’s radical decision will ensure that women in America today have fewer rights than their grandmothers had decades ago. Rights that have proven essential to health, economic participation, and the freedom for women to control their own bodies. We know the anti-abortion movement won’t stop here. Conservatives will now do everything in their power to criminalize abortion.
I am furious and deeply saddened. But I am also determined to fight this in the weeks, months, and years ahead.
This is a generational fight, and I'm all in.
𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗲𝗳𝗳 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗸𝗹𝗲𝘆: Senator Jeff Merkley
Six justices destroyed people's right to make their own health care decisions. It’s disturbing, putting an overbearing government in the exam room. This attack on our freedom is a special delivery from extremist justices and the MAGA politicians and pundits cheering them on.
Earlier this spring, we saw the fear, anger, and uncertainty across the country stemming from the callous and dangerous draft Supreme Court decision that attacked women’s reproductive rights. Now, that attack is not a possibility, but a reality. It is now up to every state to defend reproductive rights, but so many states are headed in exactly the opposite direction. This is a mega-calamity for our rights.
I’m grateful to be from Oregon—where we’ve protected the right to abortion care in state law. But that state law can be wiped out by a national abortion ban—and Mitch McConnell says he will seek to pass just such a law if Republicans win control of the Senate. I will fight this.
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗙𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗼: Peter DeFazio
This morning, the Supreme Court decimated the constitutional right to abortion in its decision on Mississippi Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This is a devastating decision that undermines our representative democracy and the legitimacy of the Supreme Court.
A majority of Americans believe that abortion should be legal. Our nation has been dramatically changed by this ruling, setting us back more than 50 years. Women in more than half of the country—around 40 million—will soon lose access to abortion entirely or have it seriously restricted. American women today now have less freedom than their mothers did.
Let me be clear: the government has no place in deciding for a woman what she chooses to do with her own body. The difficult decision to end a pregnancy, for whatever reason, is an intensely personal decision that can only be made by a woman and her spouse, companion, minister, physician, or whatever counsel she chooses, after considering all the available options and her unique circumstance.
We must stay focused, motivated, and united in the fight to protect reproductive rights for all Americans.
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗚𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗶𝗻: Sara Gelser
Abortion remains a personal choice and legal right in Oregon. This is because a pro-choice Legislature codified abortion rights on 2017.
Elections matter. A lot. Losing a pro-choice majority would lead to the erosion or elimination of this right. Electing an anti-choice Governor will lead to reduced access to reproductive health care.
I remain committed to defending the right of women to make their own choices and control their own futures. I will work hard to defend that by ensuring we maintain pro-choice majorities in the Legislature and electing a pro-choice Governor. Please help me do that!
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗕𝗼𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝘀: (We've endorsed her opponent, Ben Watts)
Retweeted an anti-abortion tweet from Christine Drazen advocating for rolling back Oregon's abortion rights.
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗶 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗲: (We've endorsed her opponent, Mary Cooke)

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗱: (Redistricted seat, we've endorsed Ashley Pelton)

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Due to redistricting, we have a number of new candidates running that we have endorsed and would like to highlight as well.
𝗧𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗞𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗿: Tina Kotek for Oregon
I’m furious about what the conservative justices have done. Abortion is health care, and I will keep fighting to ensure that it’s protected everywhere.
But, Oregonians, please know this: abortion access is protected here. I made sure of that. Now, let’s make sure that that doesn’t change.
𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗲 𝗠𝗰𝗟𝗲𝗼𝗱-𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 (𝗖𝗗𝟱): Jamie McLeod-Skinner for Oregon
Extremist politics has won the day over our fundamental right to make decisions about our own bodies. History will hang its head on this somber step backwards by the U.S. Supreme Court majority. We know this ruling will negatively impact the health and wellbeing of so many Americans — we also know it is just the first step for this extremist Court.
Congress must step up to protect our rights where this Court has failed us. My opponent supports this dangerous decision. She has clearly stated her extremist anti-choice views and supports banning abortion before a woman knows she is pregnant, even here in Oregon. I disagree and believe that politicians have no right to make reproductive decisions for us.
When in Congress, I will work to codify and protect a woman's right to choose.
The stakes are clear: Oregonians must vote pro-choice this November. We need a common-sense leader in Congress who will protect our right to choose, not an anti-choice extremist who could be the deciding vote in Congress for a nation-wide abortion ban.
𝗩𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗼𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 (𝗖𝗗𝟰): Val Hoyle for Congress
With Roe and Casey on the chopping block, we know that it doesn't stop there - so many of our fundamental rights are at risk. I will continue to stand with you in this fight for our constitutional freedoms. #BansOffOurBodies

– Compiled by Linn County Democrats Chair Jerred Taylor