October 8, 2022

Republican Senate Candidate Says Abortion Decisions Belong to “Gentlemen” State Lawmakers

“That is the best way I think, as a man, that women get the best voice.”

Mary Schwalm/AP

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New Hampshire Republican Senate candidate Don Bolduc told supporters last week that abortion decisions “belong” to “gentlemen” in the state legislature. 

At a Wednesday night town hall in Auburn, Bolduc said, “It belongs to the state. It belongs to these gentlemen right here, who are state legislators representing you. That is the best way I think, as a man, that women get the best voice. At the state level, not at the federal level. It’s really Senator Hassan that doesn’t understand this.” He added that Sen. Maggie Hassan, the state’s incumbent democratic senator, “needs to get on board with the Supreme Court decision” to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Here’s audio of the remarks:

Bolduc, a retired army general who is trailing behind Hassan in recent polls, says he is pro-life and that he believes abortion to be a state issue. Asked last month by New Hampshire television station WMUR about Hassan’s focus on abortion, he responded, “she wants to hang on with dear life. Well, guess what? Your views are not consistent with the average Granite Stater, number one. Number two, Get over it.” (Sen. Hassan responded, “Sorry, Don, but women will not ‘get over it.'”)

Kate Constantini, a spokesperson for Bolduc’s campaign, didn’t respond to questions about last week’s remarks, but said that Bolduc “believes this decision should be in the hands of the states,” according to HuffPo. Sydney Petersen, speaking for Hassan’s campaign, said “Every chance he gets, Bolduc reinforces that he believes politicians—and more specifically Republican men—should control a woman’s most personal decision about her future.”

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

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