North Fulton Democrats Rally Around Reproductive Rights As Part of Weekend of Action to Defend Choice

Today, Georgia Democrats launched a weekend of action focused on defending reproductive rights in the wake of Gov. Brian Kemp’s extreme six-week abortion ban, which outlaws abortion before many people even know they’re pregnant, and Kemp’s recent comments opening the door to banning forms of contraception if he’s re-elected.

Click here to download footage and photos.

Elected officials and candidates, organizers, and volunteers came together to launch canvassing, phone banking, and other voter contact operations centered on engaging and mobilizing voters in support of Democratic candidates who will defend reproductive freedom and fight against Republican mandates that infringe on Georgians’ fundamental right to make private medical decisions for themselves.

The day of action comes after Kansas voters turned out in record numbers toprotect reproductive freedom and reject a restrictive constitutional amendment that could have led to abortion being outlawed in their state. The results prove that voters are energized and motivated to fight for their rights against extreme attempts to make abortion illegal.

Gov. Kemp’s extreme abortion ban is broadly unpopular with Georgia voters — a clear majority oppose his restrictive ban by a near 20-point margin. This includes over 60% of independent voters and a quarter of Republicans, and 42% of likely voters say they’re more likely to vote for a candidate who wants to protect abortion rights. Kemp, who knows his ban on abortion is unpopular, has been shying away from the issue, glossing over it in speeches, and avoiding answering questions. A Kemp campaign advisor recently told NBC News: “We don’t want this debate [on abortion]. It doesn’t help.”

“We’re here today because we’re fired up and ready to fight back against extremist Republicans who are threatening our fundamental rights to control our own bodies and make our own private medical decisions. Georgia women and health care providers are terrified. Just last week, Attorney General Chris Carr clearly stated that Republicans’ six-week abortion ban explicitly targets doctors. Women and doctors should not have to live in fear of being investigated or thrown in jail for seeking or providing life-saving reproductive care. This is not the Georgia we want to live in — restrictions on reproductive rights are deeply unpopular here. We don’t want the government mandating how we make our own medical decisions,” said State Representative Shea Roberts, Democratic nominee for Georgia House District 52.

“Our freedoms are under attack — Brian Kemp and Republican extremists in the legislature are trying to impose their beliefs on the people of Georgia, and we will not stand for it. They’ve already banned abortion after six weeks, before many women even know they’re pregnant, and now they’e coming for emergency contraception. Doctors are now scared of providing reproductive care to women experiencing pregnancy complications because they could be thrown in jail. We will all fight as hard as we possibly can to protect the women of Georgia and their freedom to make their own medical decisions, but we need your help. Your efforts to spread the word — knocking on your neighbors’ doors, calling your fellow Georgians, texting friends and family — these efforts are crucial to protecting women’s rights. Let’s use our voices to sound the alarm, to let our fellow Georgians know their liberty is under assault, and that we won’t take it sitting down,” stated Peggy Gillen, Democratic nominee for Georgia House District 49.

“This is an urgent and critical situation. We won’t stand for any more of Kemp’s big government overreach or intrusion into our lives. We saw what happened in Kansas, voters showed up and sent a clear message: stop trying to take away our rights. We need leaders who care, who understand that physicians, not politicians, should be the only ones involved in our private, personal health decisions. That’s why we’re here today –  organizing around this issue could not be more important. We have to turn our outrage into energy — energy that can engage our communities and translate into big wins this November. And we do that by engaging our loved ones, our friends, our neighbors, and our fellow Georgians. Organizing is the soul of politics — getting on the front lines, putting in the work to make change,” shared Esther Panitch, Democratic nominee for Georgia House District 51.

###