The Democratic candidate for mayor of Omaha, a race suddenly attracting national attention, told HuffPost in a statement on Thursday that if elected he “would never do anything to restrict access to reproductive health care.”
The statement comes as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and the Democratic National Committee are under fire for embracing the candidate, Heath Mello, who is anti-choice. Mello sponsored a bill in 2009 to require women to undergo an ultrasound before having an abortion, a move that national groups appeared to be unaware of until just now. The primary has already passed, so any opportunity to back a competing Democrat is over.
Last Thursday, Daily Kos, a liberal website that has led fundraising efforts for lesser-known Democrats buoyed by the backlash to President Donald Trump, endorsed Heath Mello, a former Democratic state senator trying to unseat the Republican mayor of Omaha. Thousands of dollars quickly poured into his campaign coffers as progressive activists homed in on his May 5 election as the latest opportunity to poke Trump in the eye.
But just a week later, Daily Kos had pulled its endorsement after learning that Mello opposes abortion rights and co-sponsored 2009 legislation mandating fetal ultrasounds for women in the state seeking abortions.
“We were particularly surprised to learn [Mello is anti-abortion rights] because Mello had earned a 100 percent approval rating from Planned Parenthood of Nebraska in 2015,” Daily Kos political director David Nir wrote in a post explaining the decision. “However, as soon as we learned this information, we withdrew our endorsement, because this legislation clearly runs contrary to Daily Kos’ deepest values, including our support for women’s reproductive rights and our staunch opposition to laws that in any way impede women’s access to reproductive health care.”
NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue went hard at Mello Wednesday, before the Kos decision, and slammed the DNC for adding him to its cross-country, “Come Together, Fight Back” voter engagement tour, where Sanders is also speaking.
“The actions today by the DNC to embrace and support a candidate for office who will strip women — one of the most critical constituencies for the party — of our basic rights and freedom is not only disappointing, it is politically stupid,” Hogue said in a statement.
Prior to Daily Kos’ announcement, Mello’s campaign pointed to his support for Planned Parenthood, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act when asked about his message for pro-choice progressive voters in the city.business to the city. And he does not pretend to be a dyed in the wool leftist, noting that he enjoys the backing of both Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and centrists like former Nebraska Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson, for whom Mello once worked.
“In his most recent term in the legislature, Heath Mello voted 100% with Planned Parenthood Voters of Nebraska,” Mello campaign manager Paige Hutchinson said in a statement. “Heath also supported fighting sex trafficking, reproductive health care for sexual assault survivors, expanding funding for family planning services, expanding Medicaid for low-income working adults, and providing universal prenatal care for all women. He has fought against the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and fought against defunding Planned Parenthood.”
He confirmed in his statement that he is personally opposed to abortion rights in general. “While my faith guides my personal views, as Mayor I would never do anything to restrict access to reproductive health care,” he said in a statement.
It’s unclear if that distinction will earn him back the favor of groups who’ve moved against him. It aligns with the position of some Democrats like Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who have expressed personal opposition to abortion rights, but promise not to legislate based on those views. Mello, meanwhile, has already legislated based on those views, but is now pledging not to do so.
Mello is challenging two-term Republican incumbent Jean Stothert, who received just two percentage points more than him in an April 4 nonpartisan jungle primary. Stothert also opposes abortion rights.
That close race drew the attention of national progressives, not least because Hillary Clinton defeated Trump in Omaha, 51 to 43 percent.
Yet Mello’s turn of fortunes with grassroots liberals may ultimately have little impact on his electoral chances in May. One the one hand, he hopes to channel the energy of Democrats and other voters upset by Trump’s policies, emphasizing his support for the Affordable Care Act and being welcoming to refugees and other immigrants.
At the same time, he is mostly campaigning on bread-and-butter municipal issues like filling potholes, improving housing affordability, making Omaha more walkable, and attracting
What’s more, the national Democratic Party continues to embrace Mello. Sanders and Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, deputy chair of the DNC, are due to speak at a rally in Omaha on Thursday at 6 pm CT for Mello and other Nebraska Democratic candidates.
Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb, who sits on the board of Our Revolution and backed Sanders during the primary, told the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that Mello’s abortion views were not disqualifying.
“Voters know he’s pro-life but we have a lot of pro-life Democrats in our state,” Kleeb said. “It’s not the single issue people vote on anymore.”
DNC Chair Tom Perez also defended the party’s embrace of Mello in a statement Thursday.
“Our job at the DNC is to help Democrats who have garnered support from voters in their community cross the finish line and win - from school board to Senate,” Perez said. “The biggest threat to women’s reproductive rights is the relentless Republican attacks on women’s health care, including legal, accessible abortion services. And I won’t let anyone get in the way of our fight to protect a woman’s right to choose.”
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