Montana becomes eighth state with ballot measure seeking to protect abortion rights
A majority of Montanans support women’s reproduction rights (also known as “freedom of choice” and “a woman’s right to make her own reproductive decisions” and “abortion access”).
A 25-year-old state Supreme Court ruling protects abortion rights in Montana. That has not stopped Republicans and anti-abortion advocates from trying to institute a ban.
Polls in 2007 and 2014 by the Pew Research Center found that a majority of Montanans said that abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
In 2022, Montanans rejected a ballot measure that would have “raised the prospect of criminal charges carrying up to 20 years in prison for health-care providers unless they take ‘all medically appropriate and reasonable actions to preserve the life’ of an infant born alive, including in the rare case of a birth after an abortion.”
In a 2023 poll, six in ten Montana voters overall said that abortion should be legal in all or many circumstances.
A 2024 poll from the Rural Democracy Initiative shows that 74% of rural voters in 10 battleground states, including Montana, agree with the statement “we should trust women and their doctors when it comes to abortion, not politicians.”
“A study published [on June 24, 2024] in the pediatrics journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA Pediatrics) shows that the idea of returning women to roles as wives and mothers by banning abortion has, in Texas, driven infant death rates 12.9% higher.”
A Montana district judge recently issued a ruling, permanently blocking three Montana laws from the 2021 legislative session that tightened abortion restrictions.
A Montana district judge recently issued a temporary restraining order blocking HB 575 from the 2023 legislativeve session which requires sll patients in Montana to undergo an ultrasound before getting an abortion.
Similarly, a Montana district judge has temporarily blocked HB 721 from the 2023 legislative session which banned a specific abortion procedure commonly used after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
So, where do the candidates stand?
The following quotes concerning women’s reproductive rights are taken from and linked to the candidates’ websites, books, interviews, and speeches. The abortion-related votes of candidates who served in the 2023 legislative session are also presented. It is noteworthy that no candidate is a “supporter” of abortion. What differentiates the candidates is whether they believe that government should be making decisions for women and their doctors forced to confront the question.
It is also noteworthy that Democrats generally disclose their positions on abortion access on their campaign websites and Republicans often do not. For that reason, quotes are available from a limited number of candidates.
US Senate Candidates
Jon Tester (D)-“As women’s access to health care is being restricted and reproductive freedoms are under attack across the country – including Montana – it is more important than ever to have a champion for women in the U.S. Senate.” Jon cosponsored “Women’s Health Protection Act of 2023: “To protect a person’s ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy, and to protect a health care provider’s ability to provide abortion services.”
Tim Sheehy (R)-“It’s really frustrating how, you know, we have one party in this country that seems to be bent on murdering our unborn children and taking that, taking that tack, you know, in a very militant way.”
US House Congression District 1 Candidates
Monica Tranel (D)-“I trust women and families to make their own decisions about how they live their lives.” “This is about privacy and freedom. And I am the only candidate in this race who stands unequivocally with you for your privacy, to make your own health care decisions, to make decisions about your body, and to decide when, whether and how you will become a mother or a parent and how to use your resources.” “Every person should have the freedom to choose how they live their life, and the privacy to make decisions about whether they have children, who they love, and how they live their lives.”
Ryan Zinke (R)-“Again, I wish the abortion wasn’t there, but life isn’t perfect. And I understand there’s a lot of circumstances that force a woman into that very difficult decision. But I’m pro-life and I’m proud of it. ”
Montana Governor Candidates
Ryan Busse (D)-“Ryan is an unapologetic defender of the freedom of health care and reproductive choice, and of Montana’s constitutional right to privacy. He believes no politician has any right to make private health care decisions for women, including whether to have an abortion.”
Greg Gianforte (R)-“I’m proud to round out our legislative session with another suite of pro-life, pro-family bills that protect the lives of unborn babies in Montana,” Gianforte said in a written statement about the bill signings.
Montana State Senate District 30 Candidates
Cora Newman (D)-A state district court judge has deemed that three laws passed in 2021, meant to tighten restrictions on abortion, are unconstitutional. “So I would say this is a big win for families and women. For Montana families who want to decide how and when to start a family, to grow their family. And it’s a big win for women’s health.”
Tyler Rogers (R)-No online presence.
Montana State Senate District 33 Candidates
Chris Pope (D)-HB 140 would require a doctor to offer a patient seeking an abortion the opportunity to see an ultrasound. Requiring a doctor to record whether a woman chooses to view the ultrasound is a “deep governmental intrusion into a woman’s right to privacy.” Voted NO on HB 575 which bans abortions based on gestational viability, presumed at 24 weeks and noted NO on HB 721 which prohibits most second-trimester abortions by barring dilation and evacuation procedures. Bills signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte.
Neal Ganser (R)-No online position.
Montana State House District 57 Candidates
Scott Rosenzweig (D)-“Respect for personal privacy.”
Marty Malone (R)-“Protect the unborn.” Voted YES on HB 575 which bans abortions based on gestational viability, presumed at 24 weeks and noted YES on HB 721 which prohibits most second-trimester abortions by barring dilation and evacuation procedures. Bills signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte. Bills signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte.
Montana State House District 59 Candidates
Ed Stafman (D)-“Neither the government nor religious agenda should overrule a woman’s conscientious decision, made with her physician and spiritual advisers, about pregnancy before a fetus is viable.” Voted NO on HB 575 which bans abortions based on gestational viability, presumed at 24 weeks and noted NO on HB 721 which prohibits most second-trimester abortions by barring dilation and evacuation procedures. Both bills were signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte. Stafman sponsored HB 471, a bill which would have given women the right to seek an abortion based on her religious or spiritual beliefs on the subject, even where a state law may prohibit it. He also voted YES on several bills that sought to preserve and/or codify existing abortion rights in Montana and has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood.
Marc Greendorfer (R)-“There should be a right to abortion, but it should be limited to certain gestational periods, exactly as is the case in most other American states as well as European countries.” The foregoing statement describes the three unconstitutional laws passed by the Republican-controlled 2023 Montana legislature that would ban abortions beyond 20 weeks of gestation. Also, Greendorfer was a lawyer in the Hobby Lobby case before the US Supreme Court, where he successfully argued that corporations have religious rights to refuse to include contraceptives in their employee health insurance policies. He is also a member of The Federalist Society that produced the list from which all Trump supreme court justices were selected, all of whom are opposed to abortion rights and voted to overturn the federal abortion right under Roe. He also argued in the Supreme Court against same sex marriage. At present, his front yard includes yard signs for Zinke and Sheehy, both of whom oppose abortion rights.
Montana State House District 60 Candidates
Alanah Griffith (D)-“This election is critical to protect the right to privacy in medical decsions from government overreach. I am the only candidate running for SD 60 who will preserve that right.”
Jerry Johnson (R)-No online presence.
Montana State House District 61 Candidates
Becky Edwards (D)-“The Montana constitution proudly ensures a right to privacy for all residents. The Supreme Court roll back of Roe v Wade and the subsequent state by state diminishment of the simple human right of a woman’s ability to care for our own bodies and seek appropriate healthcare is devastating.”
Thomas Carlson (R)-No online presence.
Montana State House District 62 Candidates
Joshua Seckinger (D)-“I staunchly defend a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions, including the right to choose whether to terminate a pregnancy. Access to safe and legal abortion services is crucial for women’s autonomy, health, and well-being. I will tirelessly advocate for policies that protect reproductive rights, including ensuring access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare, contraception, and family planning services. No one should face barriers or judgment when seeking reproductive healthcare, and I am committed to upholding the constitutional right to privacy and bodily autonomy for all individuals.”
Owen Lang (R)-“Protect the right to life.”
Montana State House District 63 Candidates
Peter Strand (D)-“Each of us should be able to make decisions about our own health without political interference. We should trust women to know what’s best for their bodies, their physical and mental health, and their lives. Likewise, we should trust parents to make decisions related to the physical and mental health of their children. While medical professionals belong in these discussions, politicians do not.”
Mark Lewis (R)-No online position.
Montana State House District 64 Candidates
Kelly Kortum (D)-Voted NO on HB 575 which bans abortions based on gestational viability, presumed at 24 weeks and noted NO on HB 721 which prohibits most second-trimester abortions by barring dilation and evacuation procedures. Bills signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte.
Jolene Crum (R)-No online position.
Montana State House District 65 Candidates
Brian Close (D)-“I support Reproductive Freedom, the Right to Privacy, and Personal Autonomy.”
Esther Fishbaugh (R)-“As a champion of life, I believe in protecting the unborn and honoring the dignity of every human life from conception to natural death. I’m proud to have earned the endorsement of the Montana Family Institute for my unwavering stance on this critical issue.”
Montana State House District 66 Candidates
Eric Matthews (D)-Voted NO on HB 575 which bans abortions based on gestational viability, presumed at 24 weeks and noted NO on HB 721 which prohibits most second-trimester abortions by barring dilation and evacuation procedures. Bills signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte.
Marla Davis (R)-No online position.
Montana State House District 67 Candidates
Carl Anderson (D)-“Privacy is a Montana Constitutional Right protecting us from overreach by activist government that is under attack by those who want to take away rights to abortion, contraception, and equality. Women have a Constitutional Right to control their own bodies, which I fight to protect.”
Jedediah Hinkle (R)-Voted YES on HB 575 which bans abortions based on gestational viability, presumed at 24 weeks and noted YES on HB 721 which prohibits most second-trimester abortions by barring dilation and evacuation procedures. Bills signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte.
Montana State House District 68 Candidates
Alexander Colafrancesco (D)-No online position.
Caleb Hinkle (R)-Voted YES on HB 575 which bans abortions based on gestational viability, presumed at 24 weeks and noted YES on HB 721 which prohibits most second-trimester abortions by barring dilation and evacuation procedures. Bills signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte.
