September 28, 2022

TODAY: Smiley campaigns with Matt Larkin, anti-abortion extremist who suggested he would vote for a national abortion ban

ICYMI: Joe Kent, who supports federal abortion ban, gushes over Smiley, calls her “pure MAGA”

(Issaquah, WA) – With 41 days left before the election, Tiffany Smiley is ramping up her campaign appearances with anti-abortion extremists who support abortion bans with no exceptions for rape or incest and want to ban abortion nationwide. Today, Smiley campaigned with Matt Larkin, an anti-choice congressional candidate for WA-08 who opposes abortion even in cases of rape or incest, celebrated the fall of Roe, and has suggested he would vote for a nationwide abortion ban if elected, saying “I can see a strong conservative Congress putting forward that vote to ban it nationally.” 

 

Like Larkin, Smiley celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade and has made clear she won’t vote to codify Roe and strongly supports allowing politicians to pass the extreme abortion bans; recently, Smiley’s campaign confirmed that she “respects” the Texas abortion ban.  

 

“By campaigning with and courting the support of Matt Larkin, Joe Kent,  and other anti-abortion extremists, Tiffany Smiley continues to show her true colors as as an anti-abortion candidate who would help put Mitch McConnell in charge of the Senate and allow national Republicans to ban abortion nationwide,” said Washington state Democratic Party spokesperson Caitlin Harrington. “No matter what she says, we can see who she’s campaigning with, fundraising with, and collecting endorsements from: it’s anti-abortion extremists all around.”

 

ANTI-ABORTION EXTREMISTS LOVE TIFFANY SMILEY:

  • Joe Kent gushed over Tiffany Smiley at a recent campaign event and Smiley has refused to disavow the support of Kent, an abortion extremist; Kent has called called abortion “an evil stain on our humanity”.
  • Former State Rep. Luanne Van Werven, who introduced legislation to ban abortion after 20 weeks in Washington state with no exceptions for rape or incest, recently campaigned alongside Smiley in support of her candidacy.
  • State House Rep. Jesse Young, who sponsored a bill to make abortion a felony in Washington, stumped with Tiffany Smiley, and heaped praise on her at a campaign event in Bremerton.
  • One of Smiley’s first endorsements came from Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), one of the most forceful advocates for a federal abortion ban.
  • Another early endorsement for Smiley came from Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) who is proudly anti-abortion and questioned the constitutionality of birth control. 
  • Smiley has campaigned with and fundraised with extreme anti-abortion Senate challengers including Blake Masters, J.D. Vance, Adam Laxalt, Tedd Budd, and anti-abortion incumbents including Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL).

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