Leading abortion rights group endorses Sherrod Brown for reelection

A leading abortion rights group is endorsing Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) as the incumbent senator fights for reelection against one of three Republicans looking to unseat him. 

Reproductive Freedom For All announced its endorsement Tuesday, saying Brown is needed in the Senate to prevent Republicans from trying to pass a national abortion ban. 

“Senator Sherrod Brown has been an essential partner and champion of reproductive freedom who we need in the Senate,” Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju said in a statement shared first with The Hill. 

“All of the Republican extremists running in this race support a federal abortion ban that would overrule the will of Ohioans, and any one of them could cast the deciding vote to block crucial legislation protection the right to abortion. We can’t let that happen,” Timmaraju said. 

The group, formerly called NARAL Pro-Choice America, cited Brown’s co-sponsorship of the Women’s Health Protection and the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance acts, bills both aimed at advancing abortion access and repealing the Hyde Amendment, which bans the use of federal funds for abortion in most cases.

The group endorsed Brown in 2018 as well.

Democrats have made abortion rights a central part of their message since the Supreme Court ended federal abortion protections last year.

Ohio voters backed Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020, but Brown is fully leaning into putting abortion front-and-center of his campaign.

There are three Republicans vying for Brown’s seat, and Brown has knocked all of them over their support for abortion restrictions.

“While my opponents want to ban abortion nationwide, I stand with the majority of Ohioans who made it clear that a woman’s healthcare decision should be between her and her doctor,” Brown said in a statement. “I’m proud to have Reproductive Freedom for All on my team and look forward to working with them to protect reproductive rights across the nation.”

Last month, voters in Ohio overwhelmingly passed a ballot initiative that enshrines abortion protections into the state constitution. It took effect Dec. 1.