Reproductive Freedom Midterms 2022

Reproductive freedom is on the ballot this election cycle. In the aftermath of the Dobbs decision and the overturning of Roe V. Wade, the GOP is taking aim at the rights of women and pregnant folks across the country. Here in Montana, Republicans are vying for the state’s first legislative supermajority. If they get it, they’ll most certainly use it to change the constitution, removing the right to privacy that has protected abortion in Montana for decades.  We deserve to live in a state and country where reproductive freedom is a fundamental right. 

This election cycle, there are five ways you can vote up and down the ballot to protect abortion, bodily autonomy, and reproductive healthcare:

1. Vote Monica Tranel for U.S. House

Monica Tranel is an unequivocal supporter of safe and legal abortion access and will champion national laws to protect the freedom to choose if elected. Republican Ryan Zinke, on the other hand, has not criticized the Montana State Republican Party’s call for a complete ban on elective abortions, which would severely limit access to abortions for children, in the case of rape and incest, and when the pregnancy threatens the life of the mother. We need a reliable champion of reproductive justice in the House, and Monica Tranel will be just that. Learn more about her positions on abortion here.

2. Vote Ingrid Gustafson for Montana Supreme Court

Ingrid Gustafson will continue to represent a fair and impartial judiciary in Montana. Her opponent, James Brown, has received considerable partisan support from Governor Greg Gianforte and the Montana Republican Party, who hope to align him with their desire to ban abortion in our state. Further, he helped to overturn Montana’s Corrupt Practices Act of 1912, a citizen-passed law that banned corporate spending in state politics. Ingrid Gustafson possesses the integrity expected from a member of the judiciary, and won’t sell out to blatant partisan interests who seek to roll back our fundamental rights and return Montana to the time of Copper Kings. Read more about her campaign here.

3. Vote Audrey Cromwell for County Attorney

Audrey Cromwell has explicitly stated that she will not prosecute Gallatin County residents for making their own healthcare decisions. On the contrary, her opponent, Marty Lambert, has said that if the Armstrong decision protecting abortion access in Montana were reversed, he would review any case brought to his office and “apply the law” accordingly. We deserve a county attorney who uses her position to work on the issues that matter most, not waste resources prosecuting everyday people for making their own healthcare decisions. Read more about Audrey’s campaign here.

4. Vote Democrat for Montana House and Senate

Montana Republicans are only two seats away from achieving a legislative supermajority in both the State House and Senate. With this power, the GOP could make sweeping changes to the Montana Constitution, including removing the right to privacy that has protected access to abortion in Montana. Additionally, the GOP would have massive power over the 2023 legislative session, allowing them to legislate their extremist agenda without opposition. We need state legislators who will fight for reproductive justice, and Montana Democrats have been outspoken about protecting abortion access in our state. For more information on Democratic candidates running for State House and Senate in Gallatin County, see our Candidates page.

5. Vote NO on LR131

Legislative Referendum LR131 is a dangerous, deceptive bill that would allow extreme government interference in personal and difficult medical decisions that should be left between families and their healthcare providers. In particular, it would deny Montana families compassionate, end-of-life care for newborns with fatal conditions. This bill was written by GOP extremists with no medical background and only exists to mobilize the MAGA base. For more information on LR131, visit the No on LR131 campaign website or see the Montana Medical Association’s webinar below.