Beto O'Rourke Says He Will Work to Repeal Texas Abortion Ban if Elected Governor
Alex Scott/Bloomberg via Getty Beto O'Rourke
Days after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was announced, Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke said that if elected, he would work to repeal the abortion ban in his state.
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O'Rourke, 49, shared his stance with The Texas Tribune on Sunday after a rally for reproductive rights he held in East Austin. In addition, he said he would also work to expand access to reproductive health care across the state.
"Just imagine the shockwaves this will send if for the first time in 32 years, Texas elects a Democrat as governor, a governor who won on the right of every woman to make her own decision about her own body, her own future and her own health care," O'Rourke said according to the outlet.
"You know the Legislature will not only take notice, they will be forced to act in more of our common interest, instead of this extreme, fringe set of policies they have been pursuing over the last decade."
A Democrat has not won a statewide election since 1994.
Politicians in Texas have long been working to restrict access to abortion, and in the coming weeks, all abortions will be banned — from the moment of fertilization. The one exception would be to save the life of a pregnant person or prevent "substantial impairment of major bodily function."
