With the right to an abortion now up to each state, and numerous surrounding states imposing , New Mexico has become a safe harbor in the Southwest for those seeking and providing abortion care. The issue has become a significant one in the race for governor.
The day the Supreme Court鈥檚 decision in came down in June, overturning Roe v. Wade, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham took the stage at a rally against the decision at Tiguex Park in Albuquerque.
鈥淭his is a state that has your back,鈥� she said to cheers in the crowd. 鈥淲e鈥檒l stand not only as a beacon of democracy, but we鈥檒l do a whole lot more than just have words. Actions matter.鈥�
The following Monday she signed protecting abortion providers and patients from other states from discipline or criminalization within New Mexico.
鈥淲e will do everything we can,鈥� she said at a news conference announcing the safeguards. 鈥淚ncluding, I will not be executing 鈥� if there were any 鈥� any warrants for extradition for any provider related to this issue.鈥�
Lujan Grisham had already repealing a dormant state law that would have criminalized the procedure here once Roe was overturned.
At that news conference, she made a promise.
鈥淎s long as I'm Governor, everyone in the state of New Mexico will be protected. Out-of-state residents seeking access will be protected, providers will be protected,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd abortion is and will continue to be legal, safe and accessible. Period.鈥�
But with the upcoming election, the condition, 鈥渁s long as I鈥檓 Governor,鈥� is up for a vote. Republican challenger Mark Ronchetti is vying to unseat the first-term governor and has proposed banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy except in cases of rape, incest or risk to the life of the pregnant person. He has been criticized for this position by both the left and right.
The state鈥檚 Democratic Party launched the website Ronchettionabortion.com to highlight changes to language on his campaign website since the Supreme Court decision, including removing a pledge to 鈥渃hampion religious freedoms and the Right to Life.鈥�
Democratic Party spokesperson Daniel Garcia said the candidate鈥檚 website update was intended to hide his actual policy positions from voters. The Ronchetti campaign denied that the candidate鈥檚 position on the issue has ever changed, let alone disingenuously.
Conservative pastor Steve Smothermon discussed the 15-week ban proposal during a July sermon at the Legacy megachurch in Albuquerque.
鈥淚 know a lot of us got mad, and I did too,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 had a long talk with him for hours. And I said, 鈥榙ude, right out of the gate you blew it.鈥欌��
Smotherman told congregants that Ronchetti said his goal would be to ban abortion altogether.
鈥淗e said, 鈥榖ut I can't just go in and do it all 100%, because we won't ever get elected.鈥欌��
The Ronchetti campaign has denied the candidate told this to the pastor, and that, after his sermon made headlines, Smotherman said Ronchetti didn鈥檛 tell him anything that wasn鈥檛 already in his ads.
In titled 鈥淵ou deserve the truth,鈥� Ronchetti tells voters, 鈥淚'm personally pro-life. But I believe we can all come together on a policy that reflects our shared values. We can end late-term abortion while protecting access to contraception and health care.鈥�
Ronchetti has focused much of his messaging on so-called 鈥渓ate-term abortions,鈥� (which actually ) since New Mexico doesn鈥檛 have a cut-off for when a pregnant person can access the procedure.
Lujan Grisham defended the state鈥檚 lack of restrictions on in June, saying people seeking abortions late in pregnancy have often planned to welcome a child before encountering heartbreaking medical issues.
鈥淚 don't believe government has any right to interfere and judge those decisions when two medical providers are providing that information directly to their patient,鈥� she told Tapper.
Lujan Grisham signed in late August that allocates $10 million to build a clinic in Do帽a Ana County and directs state agencies to leverage resources to expand access to reproductive health care, including abortion, in underserved areas.
Ronchetti called the governor鈥檚 policy 鈥渆xtreme,鈥� highlighting the use of taxpayer dollars to fund a clinic that would provide third trimester abortions, which he says are out of step with voter values.
He鈥檚 since doubled down on his bet that New Mexicans want limits on abortion access by proposing a statewide referendum.
鈥淓verybody in the state of New Mexico should be able to vote on it, and come up with something that fits our shared values,鈥� Ronchetti said at in September.
This would mean working with the Democratic-led legislature to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot.
Lujan Grisham pushed back on the idea.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 need someone to vote on whether or not I can make a decision about my own healthcare,鈥� she said.
A spokesperson for the Lujan Grisham campaign told that the governor would oppose any attempt to further restrict access to abortion in the state.
The Your New Mexico Government project is a collaboration between 九色网 and New Mexico PBS with support from the Thornburg Foundation.
