Planned Parenthood ramping up midterm election campaign efforts
Mar 4, 2018, 4:45 PM | Updated: 4:47 pm
(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
PHOENIX — Arizona is on Planned Parenthood’s list of eight target states to oppose President Donald Trump and GOP candidates in upcoming midterm elections.
The organization had planned to spend $20 million this year but officials are already expecting to exceed that amount. For comparison, Planned Parenthood spent $4.5 million last year during gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey.
According to CNN, the political arms of the organization, Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Planned Parenthood Votes, are expected to announce an allocation of plans on Thursday.
Arizona, in particular, has the interest of the organization, which sees an opportunity to flip the Republican held Senate seat of Sen. Jeff Flake, to the Democrats.
One of the top democratic contenders for the seat is U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) who has reportedly been told by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer that he would back her campaign.
Women’s reproductive health has been a hotly debated political issue and under the Trump administration the federal government has revoked Obama-era protections that provided abortion, euthanasia and sterilization for women.
The group is hoping to rebuild support and continue to foster the momentum from the women’s marches that took place across the country in support of women’s health issues in late January.
