“We all thought our rights were safe before Roe fell. And then when that decision came down, we were all shocked and horrified. We cannot be caught flat-footed again. And when I’m governor, we won’t. We know what we are up against: Jack Ciattarelli has already vowed to ban abortion and defund Planned Parenthood. I’m running for governor because the stakes are so high, and I am the one who can beat him and protect our state. I am running to be a shield for the women of New Jersey and the next generation. At the age of 18, I signed up to put everything up to my life on the line for our freedom, and I’m sure as hell not stopping now,” said Mikie Sherrill.

Mikie was joined by Dr. Kristyn Brandi, Maxine Fine, Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, Senator Renee Burgess, Senator Linda Greenstein, Assemblywoman Rosy Bagolie, Assemblywoman Alixon Collazos-Gill, Assemblywoman Tennille McCoy, and Assemblywoman Carmen Morales.

“I know that there are so many reasons why our governor’s race is critical this year, but of course, I am concerned about how the next governor is going to set the stage for how people in New Jersey will be able to access abortion care. I can’t imagine a worse thing for our state in this moment than a Republican like Jack Ciattarelli bringing the Trump agenda to our front door. Mikie will protect abortion rights and providers like me so I can take care of whoever walks in my door, and give me the tools like mifepristone so I can use the best evidence to care for people in NJ and beyond,” said Dr. Kristyn Brandi.

“I was a nursing student when a young woman came into our emergency room bleeding to death because she had gone for a back-alley abortion, and she died before she could be operated on. I never thought that near the end of my career we would be in the same place we were when I started my career nearly 40 years ago. Women should have a choice whether to have a baby or not. What people need to understand is that cutbacks to Planned Parenthood aren’t all about abortion. It’s about education and teaching people about the options they have. We need to have the freedom to support ourselves, our families, and our communities. I am here because Mikie Sherrill will protect and advance those rights,” said Maxine Fine.

“I was in the legislature when budgets for reproductive health were struck, when the entire Planned Parenthood line was erased. We can’t go back to those times. It’s egregious that I have an eight-year-old daughter at home who has less bodily autonomy than her grandmother had. New Jersey has to stand up, and there is no better person than Mikie Sherrill to lead the charge. She’s already fought the good fight down in the federal government, and she is ready to take the reins in the Garden State to protect my daughter, my daughter’s daughter, and women across our state,” said Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz.

“Mikie is a wife, mom, and has fought for our country, so she knows what it is to fight for reproductive freedom. We already know what we have, and we refuse to go backward. Let’s put up the fight — get your friends out to knock on doors and make phone calls from now until June 10 — to make sure that Mikie Sherrill becomes our next governor,” said Senator Renee Burgess.

“Over 25 years in the legislature, I have faced so many challenges, particularly when Governor Christie defunded Planned Parenthood — which Jack Ciattarelli was all too happy to vote for. Jack wants to bring Trump’s agenda to New Jersey, and the only way to fight that is to elect Mikie Sherrill as governor. On reproductive rights in particular, Mikie has been a leader. She is the best candidate to not only stand up to attacks on reproductive rights, but to champion our freedoms. We are going forward with Mikie, not backward with Jack,” said Senator Linda Greenstein.

“As an educator and now legislator, I've seen firsthand what happens when you strip people of their dignity and their rights, especially over the right to control their own bodies. If Jack Ciattarelli becomes governor, reproductive rights in New Jersey will be under direct threat. We know that in the state of New Jersey, the only person fighting to protect those rights today is Mikie Sherrill. That’s why I’m standing with Mikie — she’s not just talking, she’s leading. She is taking on the extremists implementing a national abortion ban, working to protect access to emergency abortion care, and she has been committed to locking these rights into our state constitution. We believe in Mikie to keep all women protected in the state of New Jersey,” said Assemblywoman Rosy Bagolie.

“The right to choose is not just a women’s issue — it’s a family issue, and it’s a community issue. When a woman can make decisions about her own body, healthcare, and future, her family, her future, and her community benefits. Here in New Jersey, we’ve been proud to lead. We’ve passed strong protections to save our access to abortion and reproductive health care. But we cannot take this progress for granted. We need to remain vigilant in defense of our reproductive freedoms, which is why I am standing with Mikie Sherrill to be the next Governor of New Jersey. She has not only spoken out about this issue, but she has acted on it. That’s the type of leadership we need in New Jersey,” said Assemblywoman Alixon Collazos-Gill.

“This is bigger than politics. As a state legislator, I’ve heard from young women, nurses, and doctors. We are under attack when it comes to reproductive rights, and it is heartbreaking as we see women turned away from hospitals, doctors being silenced, and families in crisis. The Republicans have already told us what they plan to do. Defund Planned Parenthood, restrict abortion rights, limit birth control. I didn’t take office to limit reproductive rights, because government shouldn’t be a sword; it should be a shield. That’s why I support Mikie Sherrill for governor. She will stand by each and every one of us and be our champion in Trenton,” said Assemblywoman Tennille McCoy.

“As a legislator, as a mother, as a woman, I know how urgent and personal this issue is. We are facing a dangerous threat. Jack Ciattarelli has already shown us his values, he voted to uphold Christie’s budget cuts to Planned Parenthood. And now, he says he will bring the MAGA agenda to New Jersey. We aren’t going to let that happen. We cannot allow that to happen in this great state of New Jersey. Mikie has one of the strongest records in this country when it comes to defending reproductive rights. She has fought against Washington extremists who are trying to push a nationwide abortion ban. She doesn’t just talk the talk — she leads with action. And that’s what we need in our next governor,” said Assemblywoman Carmen Morales.

As governor, Mikie will work to enshrine abortion rights into our state constitution, stockpile the abortion pill, Mifepristone, and strengthen protections for providers.

Mikie is a lead sponsor of legislation to affirm that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act includes access to emergency abortion care, and is pushing for legislation that would stop Washington Republicans from using the Comstock Act to attack abortion access nationwide. Mikie is also the leading voice in Congress to ban the practice of “judge shopping” — which anti-abortion advocates have used to ensure favorable court decisions, and is fighting to protect access to reproductive health care by codifying the Department of Defense travel policy that allows servicewomen to travel for reproductive care.

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