NC’s next governor can sign or veto new abortion laws. What would the candidates do?
Abortion is a driving force behind many voters on Election Day, Nov. 5, across the country. Laws governing reproductive rights vary from state to state, so who becomes the governor of a state makes a difference on what the law could be.
In the North Carolina governor’s race, whoever wins has the power to sign or veto any abortion law sent to their desk by the General Assembly. The major party candidates for governor are Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein. Their positions on abortion are markedly different, with Stein supporting what most Democrats support, and Robinson supporting a stricter law than many Republicans.
The current law, passed by Republicans in 2023 as Senate Bill 20, bans abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy with exceptions up to 20 weeks for rape and incest; up to 24 weeks for a fetal anomaly; and at any time if “a qualified physician determines there exists a medical emergency.”
What Stein, third party candidates say about abortion law
The News & Observer asked all five candidates for governor the same question:
At how many weeks pregnancy should state law ban abortion? What exceptions should there be, and at how many weeks?
Democratic candidate Josh Stein: “Deciding to have a baby is among the most personal decisions a woman can make; it should be made in consultation with her loved ones and her doctor — not by politicians like my opponent. As attorney general, I have defended access to reproductive health care for all women, including members of the military. As governor, I’ll continue to defend women’s rights. Meanwhile, my opponent for governor supports a total abortion ban without exception, not for rape, incest, or the life of the mother.”
Stein has also said repeatedly in campaign speeches that he would not sign any bill that further restricts abortion beyond the current law.
Green Party candidate Michael Wayne Turner: “I will not offer a gestational limit, nor debate over exceptions. State law should not ban abortion, period. Abortions are intensely personal decisions between a woman and her doctors, and the state has no legitimate interest in the process beyond ensuring that medical care is available to the mother.”
Constitution Party candidate Vinny Smith: “Based upon Jeremiah 1:4-5, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, and Exodus 20:13, I do not believe in abortions, from conception without exception. I do believe that we must have a support system in place available to help pregnant mothers emotionally, psychologically and financially if needed.”
Robinson and Libertarian candidate Mike Ross did not respond to the questionnaire.
What Robinson has said about abortion, and when
Robinson doesn’t mention abortion at all on his campaign website’s list of more than a dozen issues important to him.
But he has talked about abortion in speeches and a campaign ad describing how he and his wife, Yolanda, chose to end her pregnancy in abortion in 1989.
Robinson has changed what he’s said about what he wants the law to be.
In early August, his campaign released an ad with him saying he’ll “stand by our current law.”
That was a major switch from what his campaign had been saying for months, which was that he supported a “heartbeat” ban, forbidding abortion after about six weeks’ pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother, though not with a stated time frame for those exceptions.
And in September, NBC News reported that Robinson told a supporter he actually wanted the law stricter than six weeks.
“That 12 weeks, exceptions for rape and incest … I’m not going to say it’s reasonable. But my faith allows me to live with that, because that’s where the consensus is. Do I want to continue to lower it? You better know it. I would love to get down to six weeks. And I’d like to get down to zero. I would like to push it back as far as we could and eliminate as many abortions as we can,” Robinson said on the audio recording, going on to say “we can’t do it all at once.”
In a 2019 Facebook live video, Robinson talks about abortion on demand happening because women wouldn’t “keep your skirt down,” words that Stein then used in an attack ad.
“Everybody knows that abortion in this country is not about protecting the lives of mothers. It is about convenience. It is about abortion on demand. That is exactly what it’s about,” Robinson said in his Facebook video. “It’s about killing the child because you weren’t responsible enough to keep your skirt down or your pants up — and not get pregnant by your own choice, because you felt like getting your groove thing on. And now instead of taking care of that child, you want to kill that child so your life can go on, being on easy street and you can keep running to the club every Friday night.”
In an interview with Eastern North Carolina television station WITN in October, Robinson said he wants to change how he talks about abortion.
“I haven’t always chosen my words wisely when it comes to my position on abortion. I am far from perfect, but I strive everyday to be better, Robinson wrote on X in sharing that interview. “As your governor, I will work to build North Carolina into a destination state for mothers and families, and that means building a proactive culture of world-class healthcare and life that bolsters our communities all across the state.”
Earlier this year, state lawmakers who were key players in SB 20, the abortion restrictions law passed in 2023, told The News & Observer that while a Republican may file a stricter bill in 2025, it was unlikely to gain traction with Republicans who are already serving in the legislature ahead of the 2024 election.
This story was originally published October 29, 2024 at 12:39 PM with the headline "NC’s next governor can sign or veto new abortion laws. What would the candidates do?."
.jpg)