September 1, 2022/Media, Press

NC Republicans Are Hiding Their Extreme Abortion Records

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, North Carolina Republicans are rushing to hide their unpopular, extremist stances on abortion. Multiple GOP congressional candidates in North Carolina, including NC-06 candidate Chris Castelli and NC-13 candidate Bo Hines, have even gone as far as to delete anti-abortion views from their campaign websites. 

Read more on North Carolina Republicans hiding their extreme views on abortion: 

CBS17: GOP candidates change messaging on abortion

  • Being pro-life has historically been a safe platform for Republicans because there was little chance any new restrictive laws could be enacted. But that’s now changed. Democrats are gaining ground in the polls, winning special elections and voters in Kansas overwhelmingly said no to new abortion laws. 
  • As access to abortion is rallying voters, some of that ‘prudence’ George Will refers to includes the removal of abortion references from campaign websites. We’re seeing that across the country including the front page of Bo Hines’ website. The Republican is running for North Carolina’s 13th congressional district. 
  • When CBS 17’s Russ Bowen asked Hines about his stance on abortion during the May primary Hines said, “I believe abortion is murder, unequivocally.” 
  • “So why would Republicans not clarify their position while campaigning? […] Will, who is pro-life, said that’s because the majority of Americans, although at varying degrees, believe in abortion access.”

WGHP: 4 North Carolina Republican nominees leave abortion off of campaign websites

  • Four Republicans seeking congressional seats from North Carolina say nothing about abortion on their campaign websites even though some have been staunchly anti-abortion in the past – and as abortion has become a pivotal national issue. 
  • And at least one of them, Christian Castelli, a political newcomer challenging Democratic incumbent Kathy Manning in the 6th District, has changed his page since he was nominated during a crowded primary in May and no longer includes a pro-life position. 
  • Castelli’s website for that race professed strong and consistently GOP-focused positions on several key issues, but since May 17, his website migrated from castelliforcongress2022.com to www.castellifornc.com and dropped the words that showed he clearly was invested in fighting against abortion. 
  • In response to a query from WGHP, Monica Robinson, the Sunbelt press secretary for the national Democratic Party, said that “Christian Castelli is trying to hide his agenda to ban abortion from North Carolinians because he knows his extreme positions will doom him in November. Unfortunately for him, the internet never forgets.”

###