Friday, June 24, 2022. On that day, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. I was serving as President of the National Organization for Women of New Jersey, and even though we had braced for the decision, the reality was still devastating. That evening, my daughters and I joined hundreds at a rally in South Orange, called together by Rep. Mikie Sherrill. We grieved the loss of our rights together and pledged to keep fighting.

One source of comfort was that New Jersey had acted in advance. Earlier that year, our coalition had successfully advocated to pass the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act, enshrining access to abortion and reproductive healthcare in state law. We were often told Roe would never fall, but we knew better. We were right.

Now, those protections are once again under threat. Gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli has made it clear: he supports a statewide abortion ban.

This is not new for Jack. During his time in the New Jersey Assembly, he voted six times to defund Planned Parenthood. On the very day the Roe decision was leaked, Jack celebrated by contributing thousands of dollars to a Republican candidate who supported banning abortion with no exceptions for a mother’s health. He has praised Donald Trump’s Supreme Court picks—the same justices who took away nearly 50 years of reproductive freedom—as Trump’s “greatest accomplishment.” And today, he supports Trump’s Price Hike Bill, which would slash Planned Parenthood funding and strip lifesaving health care from women across our state. 

Mikie Sherrill has consistently stood on the side of women and families. In Congress, she fought to protect access to emergency abortion care, defended medication abortion like Mifepristone, and expanded contraception access for women in the military. As governor, she has pledged to enshrine abortion rights in our state constitution, safeguard access to Mifepristone, and defend Planned Parenthood.

The stakes could not be clearer. New Jersey needs a governor who will defend our rights, not one who will rubber-stamp Trump’s agenda.

As a mother, I do not want my daughters to live in a world where they have fewer rights than I had. As a New Jerseyan, I do not want to see our state dragged backward by politicians who ignore the will of the people.

This November, abortion rights are once again on the ballot. The choice is stark: Jack Ciattarelli would take away our rights. Mikie Sherrill will protect them.

Anjali Mehrotra is a feminist and abortion access activist. As President of the National Organization for Women of New Jersey, Anjali was a key voice in protecting abortion access in New Jersey and vows to continue the fight to protect it.