(LifeSiteNews) — GOP Senate candidate Kari Lake is hardening her stance against unborn children.
In a recent interview with NBC News, the Arizona Republican attempted to reposition herself on abortion, which is expected to play a significant role in her race against Democrat Congressman Ruben Gallego. Both are seeking to win the U.S. Senate seat occupied by retiring Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I).
Lake has been a boisterous opponent of abortion in recent years, referring to it as “the ultimate sin” and campaigning for Ohio’s Issue 1, which would have made it more difficult to add a pro-abortion amendment to the state’s constitution. She also praised Texas’ heartbeat bill, which outlaws most abortions at six weeks.
Now, she is tapping the brakes. She told NBC this week that “Arizonans hold the view that abortion should be legal, and that late-term abortion should not be legal with exceptions for rape, incest, and obviously the health of a mother.”
As in other states, Arizona Republicans have grappled with how to tackle abortion following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Current state law allows for abortion up to 15 weeks with exceptions for rape, incest, and when allegedly “necessary” for the life of the mother, though courts are hearing arguments on an older law that could outlaw the practice almost completely. Lake told NBC she believes the 15-week ban is “something that Americans can get behind because it gives people options, gives women options, and makes sure that there are carveouts.”
She described the law, which protects fewer than 10 percent of unborn babies, as a “good law.”
Lake also said that she now opposes Arizona’s near-total ban.
Arizona for Abortion Access is seeking to collect over 380,000 signatures by July 3 to place a proposal on the ballot this November that would expand abortion to 24 weeks. The move is aimed at increasing Democratic turnout for the presidential race. The group said in January that it already has 250,000 signatures.
Pro-lifers held the Arizona Mach for Life on Friday, March 1, last week. Lake, who opposes a federal abortion ban, did not attend the event.
Lake has likewise expressed her opposition to the recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling regarding in vitro fertilization. The decision recognizes embryos as children who enjoy legal protection. Lake said she hopes the U.S. Supreme Court will “strike that down,” adding that “states should be deciding” the issue. In a post on X, she vowed that if elected she will “advocate for increased access to fertility treatment for women struggling to get pregnant.”
In an attempt to shift the conversation away from abortion, Lake, who, like Trump, is friendly with homosexuals and pro-LGBT “conservatives,” further told NBC that Republicans should use tax incentives and other tools to help women in need.
“We can invest that money into American families through baby bonuses, prenatal care, parental resources and classes and child care,” she said. “This is where I can actually help in the Senate, by pushing some really great legislation that would actually provide baby bonuses for families, extend and beef up child tax credits to provide more tax incentives, and tax cuts for moms and dads and babies.”
Arizona is a crucial swing state for the upcoming presidential race. Its 11 electoral college votes could tip the balance to either Donald Trump or Joe Biden according to most simulations. Nevada, which has six electoral college votes, as well as Michigan (15), Georgia (16), and Wisconsin (10) are also seen as decisive contests.