Third District congressional candidates Prasanth Reddy and Sharice Davids are engaging in a heated dispute over abortion rights, with both candidates releasing contrasting campaign ads to sway voters in their direction.
Incumbent Davids, a Democrat, is appealing to voters who rejected a 2022 constitutional amendment in Kansas that would have allowed stricter state laws on abortion. She has been working to enshrine the provisions of Roe v. Wade into federal law and released an attack ad accusing Reddy of betraying his oath as a physician by supporting the demise of Roe v. Wade and encouraging state politicians to restrict access to lifesaving medical care for women.
Meanwhile, Reddy, a Republican physician, is backed by the anti-abortion organization Kansans For Life and claims to respect the decision made by Kansas voters on abortion two years ago. He released a commercial accusing Davids of lying about his stance on abortion and highlighting his priorities of securing the border, stopping inflation, and keeping fentanyl out of communities rather than focusing on banning abortion.
The issue of abortion is complex for Republican candidates in the 3rd District, which includes voter-rich Johnson County, where a majority of voters opposed the 2022 abortion amendment. The Kansas Democratic Party has called on Reddy to address controversial statements by the Johnson County GOP regarding the necessity of abortions and the morality of allowing exceptions for rape and incest.
Davids and Reddy have differing views on abortion, with Davids advocating for women’s rights to choose and Reddy emphasizing his respect for the decision made by Kansas voters while also pushing for exceptions in certain circumstances. The divisive issue of abortion continues to be a significant point of contention in the race for the Third Congressional District.
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Photo credit kansasreflector.com