Kari Lake says Arizona families should have abortion option in cases of rape, incest

PHOENIX — Arizona Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake said last week during a town hall she believes families should have the option for abortion in cases of rape and incest.

Lake was asked by moderator León Krauze during the Oct. 3 event if a 12-year-old girl who was raped by a family member should be allowed access to an abortion.

A pair of conflicting state laws include exceptions for the mother’s health, but not for cases of rape or incest.

“Yes. She should be. If that’s what she and her family choose in a case of incest,” Lake said.

Lake added that she believes those cases are rare when it comes to overall abortions.

She also acknowledged that there was continued confusion over Arizona’s abortion laws after a state judge ruled that a near-total ban that originated in 1864 could be enforced despite a new law that permits the procedure through 15 weeks of gestation.

Lake, as she has in the past, didn’t pick which of the laws she preferred.

“I want to save as many lives as possible,” Lake said.

Lake told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show last Tuesday she would like abortions to be rare and safe, but not illegal.

A spokesman for Lake said after she meant to say only “rare but safe,” according to The Associated Press.

Democrats, most notably Bill Clinton, started using the words “safe, legal and rare” when talking about abortion in the 1990s but have since moved away from including “rare” in the slogan.

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