Abortion rights group NARAL backs Wendy Davis for Congress

NARAL Pro-Choice America will help former gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis in her bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, a first-term Republican from Hays County.

Davis, a former state senator, drew national headlines in 2013 for her marathon filibuster of sweeping regulations that could have closed most abortion clinics in the state.

"Donald Trump and anti-choice politicians are waging an all-out assault on reproductive freedom in my home state of Texas and across the country," Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said in a statement. "That's why we need proven leaders like Wendy who won't back down from this fight."

The NARAL endorsement means the group will financially support Davis' campaign, a spokeswoman for the group said. And, as part of the endorsement, NARAL members will organize to help elect Davis and other like-minded Texas candidates.

So far, the group has backed two Texas Democratic incumbents -- U.S. Reps. Lizzie Fletcher of Houston and Colin Allred of Dallas.

Roy's campaign has already raised Davis' history of support for abortion rights.

In a message to supporters earlier this month, Roy said that if Davis were elected, she would work to "erase the pro-life gains we've made under President Trump" and use tax money to fund late-term abortions.

"Leftists in Hollywood are even making a movie detailing her filibuster in support of late-term abortion, and it'll come out right before the election in order to have maximum impact," he said, referring to the planned movie on Davis' filibuster, "Let Her Speak."

After Davis announced that she would run for Congress, Roy said in a tweet that her "radical & extreme views will no doubt excite the likes of (House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi & other DC liberals." The district stretches from Central Austin to San Antonio and includes six Hill Country counties.

Wendy Davis' radical & extreme views will no doubt excite the likes of Nancy Pelosi & other DC liberals. I will continue fighting for the hardworking families of #Tx21 & the commonsense values that make Texas everything Washington is not. #Life, #Liberty, & #PursuitOfHappiness

-- Chip Roy (@chiproytx) July 22, 2019"I will continue fighting for the hardworking families of #Tx21 & the commonsense values that make Texas everything Washington is not," he tweeted.

Democrats see District 21, where Roy secured his seat in 2018 by a slim 2.6 points, as one of six GOP-held districts in Texas that could be flipped in 2020.

In a statement, Davis didn't back away from her support for abortion rights.

"Reproductive rights are under assault in Texas and across the country," Davis said. "That's why women need a voice in Congress who will stand up to the extreme measures being pushed in Washington, states and cities. I am honored to stand with NARAL as we work together to make access to basic reproductive health care available for all."

In contrast, Roy has a 100% rating on the National Right to Life's Federal Scorecard, which tracks "pro-life roll call votes" in Congress. He also co-sponsored several abortion-related measures, including the "Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2019" to cut federal funding for the organization.

Abortion has long been at the epicenter of Texas politics, inspiring hard-fought battles on the campaign trail and in the Capitol, where Republicans have led efforts to add stricter regulations related to the procedure, including mandatory pre-abortion sonograms and a 24-hour waiting period for many women seeking an abortion.

After the last legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a bill that banned cities from "any transaction" with an abortion provider or its affiliates -- including leases, sales and donations of real estate, goods and services.

Lawmakers also approved a bill that would require doctors who perform abortions to provide medical care in the rare instance of a live birth during an abortion.

"Texas has become the testing ground for the nation's most dangerous anti-abortion laws," Aimee Arrambide, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, said in a statement. "We need a fighter in Congress who knows what's at stake, and we look forward to having Wendy's leadership in Congress."

Davis will face Jennie Lou Leeder in the Democratic primary in March. On her campaign website, Leeder said "a woman's choice with regard to family planning is her own to make."

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