Fact Check: NC Dem’s ad ties her GOP opponent to Mark Robinson on abortion
A new ad by a North Carolina Democrat says Republican candidate for state House Melinda Bales could be the deciding vote for a total abortion ban if elected. Bales said she wouldn’t support one.
The $30,000 online ad, called “Trust,” was paid for by the campaign of Beth Helfrich, Bales’ Democratic opponent running in north Mecklenburg’s House District 98, according to a spokesperson for the North Carolina Democratic House Caucus. Women in the video say Bales, the former mayor of Huntersville, is funded by the same people as Mark Robinson, a fact that makes them scared for the future of reproductive rights in the state. Bales, however, told The Charlotte Observer in an email that although she is “personally pro-life,” she would not vote in support of a total abortion ban if elected.
“I don’t trust politicians like Mark Robinson, like Melinda Bales,” women in the ad said. “Bales is funded by the same people as Mark Robinson. Bales could be the deciding vote for a total abortion ban. Birth control and IVF are at risk, that scares me. Melinda Bales scares me.”
Bales and Robinson connection
Since a bombshell CNN report dropped this month, alleging Lt. Gov. Robinson made racist, sexist and other inflammatory remarks on a pornography website over a decade ago, Democrats have said Robinson is indicative of the GOP as a whole.
Bales, like some other Republicans including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, condemned the comments Robinson allegedly made.
“The reported allegations against Mark Robinson are extremely troubling if proven to be true. They are certainly not my values,” Bales said. “My campaign is and always has been about the people of this district, not about who should be governor.”
Robinson has made numerous remarks about restricting abortion, including in a widely circulated Facebook Live video from 2019.
“Abortion in this country is not about protecting the lives of mothers,” Robinson said in the video. “It’s about killing the child because you weren’t responsible enough to keep your skirt down.”
Helfrich’s ad points out Bales and Robinson have a financial backer in common.
The ad refers to significant donations made to Robinson’s and Bales’ campaigns by Ericka Cain, a donor who contributed the maximum amount, $6,400, to both campaigns. Cain is a benefactor to the Cain Center for the Arts in Cornelius and has donated to numerous campaigns of anti-abortion Republicans.
“It would be fair to assume that, given her pro-life donors’ monetary enthusiasm as well as her admission to being pro-life ‘personally,’ she would vote with the Republicans in the State House against Choice,” Josh Artis, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Democratic House Caucus, said in an email to The Observer.
Bales, however, says otherwise.
Bales’ stance on abortion
Bales identifies herself as “personally pro-life,” on her website and in an email to The Observer. She said that although she has never been faced with the decision over whether to have an abortion, she sympathizes with her friends and family who have.
“Because of these conversations, I do not believe that there is a perfect solution, but I do believe the answer lies somewhere between 12 and 20 weeks,” she wrote. “The important piece to me is ensuring that the exceptions for rape, incest, the life of the mother and child remain the law of the land.”
Following a law that took effect in July 2023, abortion is illegal after 12 weeks of pregnancy in North Carolina. There are exceptions for cases of rape and incest, allowing abortions up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. The legislation was supported by every House Republican present for the vote.
Bales said although she would not have advocated for the current law, she finds it to be a balanced choice.
“It is a complicated issue with many different opinions,” she said. “The current law seems to find a balance between the extremes on both sides.”
Helfrich, however, is not so content with the current law. In the ad and in a statement to The Observer, she said she is running to expand abortion rights.
“Access to safe and legal abortion is a fundamental aspect of reproductive healthcare and personal freedom. I support legislation that affirms our right to make informed decisions about our health privately and without government interference because we all deserve the dignity and freedom to make our own healthcare decisions,” Helfrich said. “As a representative, I will fight to restore abortion access and protect birth control and IVF, so that women – not legislators – are in charge of their own lives.”
