INDIANAPOLIS — With Indiana’s near-total abortion ban taking effect tomorrow, Indianapolis voters deserve to know the full history of Republican mayoral nominee Jefferson Shreve’s long record opposing a woman’s right to choose and supporting anti-choice politicians.
Unfortunately, despite Jefferson self-funding a multi-million dollar ad campaign that attempts to deny his self-described conservative Republican views, he has repeatedly refused to answer media questions related to his personal and political support for policies restricting access to reproductive healthcare.
“As hundreds of thousands of women in Indianapolis prepare to lose access to health care, Jefferson Shreve’s silence says it all,” said Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Mike Schmuhl. “Whether as a candidate or a Republican mega-donor, Jefferson has a decades-long record opposing a woman’s right to choose. In this moment, Indianapolis needs a mayor that has consistently stood strong for the women of this city and their rights. What Indianapolis can’t afford is Jefferson giving the Republican supermajority a dangerous ally on the other side of Market Street. ”
Jefferson ran for State Senate in 2016 with the intention of being another vote for the anti-choice agenda promoted by his friends in the state legislative supermajority. He emphasized his “commitment to protect the unborn” as a cornerstone of his platform and ran TV ads advocating for “pro-life” policies – these ads have since been deleted.
Jefferson’s personal donations to other campaigns shows consistent support for anti-choice Republicans.
Most notably and recently, first reported by IMPORTANTVILLE, Jefferson made a $1,000 donation to Mike Pence’s presidential campaign. Pence has attempted to stand out from the large Republican field by advocating for a nationwide abortion ban, with no exceptions for conditions that threaten a woman’s life.
In 2022, Jefferson made a large donation to Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson’s reelection campaign. Johnson has sponsored a nationwide abortion ban multiple times and was “very supportive” of the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
In addition, he served as a surrogate for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Trump made clear throughout that campaign that overturning Roe v. Wade was a priority for his administration.
Indianapolis has a mayor in Joe Hogsett who is committed to standing up to the anti-choice extremism coming out of the Statehouse. Mayor Joe opposed the state’s draconian abortion ban legislation in 2022 and has pledged he will fight as mayor to overturn state law and restore healthcare rights to Hoosier women.
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