As Women’s History Month comes to a close, the Republican candidates for governor have made it clear they will not stand up for Illinois women. From vowing to criminalize a woman’s right to choose, to reversing equal pay and curbing access to quality health care and affordable child care, the GOP gubernatorial field is out of touch with working families and would put women across the state in danger.
The GOP gubernatorial field is littered with extremists who want to take our state from a beacon for women’s rights to a place where women have no support, no say, and no choice. Take a look at their radical stances
- Darren Bailey has failed Illinois women at every turn. He called equal pay for equal work “controversial” and signed on to an amicus brief in support of Mississippi’s lawsuit to overturn Roe. He even said he opposes exceptions to abortion in the cases of rape or incest.
- Richard Irvin called Planned Parenthood “bad for Aurora” and compared it to a “strip club or asbestos company.” His running mate Avery Bourne voted against the state’s Reproductive Health Act and does not believe in exceptions for abortion, even when a mother’s life is threatened.
- Jesse Sullivan wants to enact a near-total ban on abortion and called legislation to protect reproductive rights “despicable.”
- Gary Rabine promises to emulate Donald Trump’s disastrous policies, pledged support for crisis pregnancy centers in the state, and has denounced early childhood education funding entirely.
- Paul Schimpf voted against a bill that would protect access to abortion if Roe were overturned.
Meanwhile, Governor Pritzker and Democrats in the general assembly have stood strong for women across Illinois. They’ve protected a woman’s right to choose by signing the Reproductive Health Act, ensured the cost of an abortion is treated like any other medical procedure for insurance purposes, secured equal pay for equal work, enhanced protections for domestic violence survivors from retaliation by their abusers, expanded health care coverage for new mothers, and more. With so much at stake this November, Illinois Democrats stand united against any attempt by Republicans to roll back equality.
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