The Long Anti-Choice Arc of My Opponent, Why I Know How Much Is at Stake, and How We Can Stop It
Hi Everyone,
The laws of Massachusetts made my whole life possible. Thanks to the laws of the Commonwealth I was able to end an unplanned pregnancy at the age of 19. It made my whole life possible. It made my education possible. It made my work as a public defender possible. It made my daughter possible. That's why defending reproductive rights is my top priority. Everyone in Massachusetts must have the same rights and freedoms that I did when I was only 19.
You need to know that my opponent, Marilyn Devaney, has a long anti-choice history. She has repeatedly been the endorsed candidate of anti-choice organizations, including Massachusetts Citizens for Life PAC, Democrats for Life, Massachusetts Citizens for Life, and Massachusetts Resistance, which the Southern Poverty Law Center labeled a hate group the very same year they endorsed Marilyn Devaney and gave her a top rating.
Those endorsers knew what they were doing. Marilyn Devaney was the one they wanted to win, and their investments paid off just last year when Claudine Cloutier, a donor to both National Right to Life and to the Susan B. Anthony Candidate Fund, which endorses "pro-life candidates for Congress and public office", was nominated to be a judge in our Superior Courts.
At the Governor's Council hearing on July 13, 2022, Councillor Eileen Duff cited those donations and said to Claudine Cloutier, "I need you to say, 'I will defend a woman's right to choose under the laws of Massachusetts.'" The nominee refused, saying, "You're asking me to promise a result on a case that is not yet before me and that I cannot even imagine at this point." The nominee even went on to say she could not imagine "...under what scenario that particular question would come before a Superior Court judge. I have not seen that. I am not privy that."
Claudine Cloutier was wrong. Mass.Gen.Laws. Ch 112, Sec. 12R clearly states that when someone 15 or under cannot get parental consent for an abortion as required by law, they may obtain consent by appearing before a Superior Court judge.
One week after that hearing, on July 20, 2022, the Governor's Council reconvened to vote. Councillor Terry Kennedy stated he had called the nominee after the hearing to ask if she would recuse herself on abortion cases, and that he would vote no because the nominee would not agree. Right after Councillor Kennedy made that statement, Councillor Devaney said, "She is what we need. Please. Let's have more people like Claudine." Watch at the 2:02 mark.
Voters deserve the facts, and my duty as your candidate is to make sure you have them. You also have my word that I will absolutely never vote to confirm a nominee unless I am absolutely certain they are 100% pro-choice. Today I'm joining Indivisible Massachusetts for a day of action to protest so-called "pregnancy crisis centers", which masquerade as clinical centers but provide misinformation instead of medical care. No anti-choice organization will ever endorse me, and the reason is simple. I'm not the one they want to win.
Voters need to be informed, so they can vote for the pro-choice candidate who will fight for reproductive rights in Massachusetts. We came so close last year, we only need 50 more votes per town to win next year. All we need to do is increase our outreach and educate more voters. Please pass this on, and please give generously. Women's lives, their education, and their families are depending on it.
Take Care,
Mara
