California Congressional District 13 candidates divided on federal abortion protections
(The Center Square) – Ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022, each state has been able to set its own abortion policy. So, each candidate’s views on abortion have become individually more consequential.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights organization, California is “very protective” of abortion rights. California protects abortion access in its state constitution and only prohibits abortion up to fetal viability, up to 24 to 26 weeks. Additionally, California has created a fund to help patients pay for abortion services.
Neither District 13 candidate – Incumbent Republican John Duarte and Democratic challenger Adam Gray – has an “abortion” section on their campaign websites. Instead, they’ve elaborated on their positions in other interviews. In an interview with KQED News, Duarte expressed parts of his position:
“I believe women should have access to first trimester abortion. And I will vote against any effort to federalize abortion law,” he said.
Gray expressed his position on abortion to The Sacramento Bee:
“Women have a right to control their own bodies. Congress should guarantee the right to access abortion and contraception nationwide,” Gray said. “Roe v. Wade must become the law of the land, just as it was for years. Only the Congress can make that happen and I will vote to do that. John Duarte won’t.”
Roe v. Wade established federal protections for abortions before a fetus reached viability outside the womb. That provided abortion protections for pregnancies before 24 to 28 weeks.
While he was a California Assemblyman, Gray voted for a bill that prohibited tech companies from disclosing data to out of state law enforcement officials regarding someone receiving or performing an abortion. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law in September 2022.
In 2023, Duarte was one of two Republicans to vote against an amendment to the Defense Reauthorization Act of 2024. The amendment would have prevented the Secretary of Defense from “paying for or reimbursing” costs related to abortions. The amendment passed 221 to 213 largely along partisan lines.
In the same interview that Duarte explained his position on abortion, he explained his vote:
“…women go in the military and they may be stationed wherever the military stations them. It could be a state with very restrictive abortion laws. And it’s a medical service that the military, you know, provides. It should not be a woman’s cost to bear if she has to go to another state to get medical services that are available where she needs them just because she’s in the military. I don’t want women not enlisting because we restrict their access to certain medical services based on what state they’re in.”
In 2022, Gray voted for a bill that prohibited health care service plans from charging “a deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or any other cost-sharing requirement on coverage for all abortion and abortion-related services.”
Newsom signed the bill into law in March 2022.
Neither campaign responded to a request for comment.
