On WMUR, Kelly Ayotte Admits to Suddenly Changing Her Position on Abortion on the "Day I Announced My Candidacy" for Governor

Concord, NH - During an interview on WMUR this past weekend, Kelly Ayotte, in response to a question about whether she would support a bill that proactively protected the right to abortion in New Hampshire said, “I’ve been very clear from the day I announced my candidacy that I would not change that law.”

That statement reveals that Kelly Ayotte's recent public statement on abortion rights is simply a political calculation that she made when announcing her candidacy for governor in July 2023. This reversal comes after her two decade long-career defined by repeated attacks on reproductive rights, dating back to her role as New Hampshire Attorney General in 2004.

"The fact that Kelly Ayotte woke up 14 months ago and abruptly reversed her long-standing stance on abortion rights raises serious concerns about her true intentions. Granite Staters deserve a governor they can trust, not a politician who shifts her stance only when it’s politically advantageous,” said Kayla Montgomery, New Hampshire spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Votes.

Ayotte also made it clear that she doesn’t understand – or perhaps know – the current law she claims she will protect. When asked if she would sign a bill to protect abortion, as abortion is not protected in New Hampshire law, she said such a protection already exists. However, New Hampshire law explicitly states the opposite: “Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed as creating or recognizing a right to abortion.” (RSA 329:49).

"From her earliest days in public office, Ayotte has consistently opposed abortion access and worked to defund family planning programs. Now, as she campaigns for governor, she wants voters to believe she’s had a sudden change of heart. But Granite Staters deserve better than a politician who attempts to rewrite her history to suit her own political ambitions," added Montgomery. “Kelly Ayotte’s claim that she won’t change New Hampshire’s abortion law only dates back to the exact day she announced her campaign for governor. But for nearly two decades before that, she led the charge against reproductive rights, from her role as Attorney General to her time in the U.S. Senate. She’s hoping Granite Staters will forget her record, but New Hampshire voters know better than to trust a politician who flips positions for political gain.”

Background on Kelly Ayotte’s Record

• In the U.S. Senate, Ayotte voted for a nationwide abortion ban, which is earlier in pregnancy than New Hampshire’s current law.
• Ayotte has repeatedly voted to defund Planned Parenthood.
• Ayotte played a pivotal role in supporting Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, aiding in securing his confirmation to the court. Gorsuch’s lifetime appointment soon led to the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
• She has voted to make it more difficult and expensive to get birth control by co-sponsoring the Blunt Amendment.
• She even voted to allow employers and insurance companies to refuse coverage of IVF,
• As New Hampshire attorney general, Ayotte defended an unconstitutional parental notification requirement that did not include an exception for the health of the mother to the U.S. Supreme Court.
• Notably, one of Ayotte’s first endorsers in her campaign for governor, State Senator Carrie Gendreau, was one of the sponsors of a proposed 15-day abortion ban in New Hampshire.

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Planned Parenthood Votes is an independent expenditure political committee registered with the Federal Election Commission.