RALEIGH, N.C. – As the final days wind down before the 2024 election, abortion has become a central topic for candidates and voters alike, especially when it comes to the top race in North Carolina: the open seat for governor.
North Carolina currently allows abortions for any reason up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, a significant change from the previous 20-week limit implemented last year. Additionally, a mandatory 72-hour waiting period after counseling remains in place, the longest in the nation.
Republican nominee Mark Robinson and Democratic nominee Josh Stein have both prioritized this issue in their campaigns, reflecting its importance to voters.
Robinson, who has been a vocal supporter of a heartbeat bill, recently softened his rhetoric in a campaign advertisement featuring his wife, Yolanda. In the ad, he shares a personal story about their own experience with abortion, sharing that he and his wife had an abortion thirty years ago.
In the ad, his wife said: “It’s something that stays with you forever.”
It ends with Robinson saying: “It’s why I stand by our current law. And it provides common sense exceptions for the life of the mother, incest and rape...”
The assertion transitioned him from advocating for a heartbeat bill, which would have prohibited abortions after six weeks, to accepting the state's 12-week limit.
Robinson told Spectrum News 1: “Consensus landed at 12 weeks. And I’m mature enough to live with that. And I’m mature enough to also know that I now need to do my part as a believer in life or to continue to focus on trying to, number one, save lives in the womb, but not stop there. We want to continue to focus on making the changes that are going to make those lives better once they get here.”
On the other side, Democratic nominee Josh Stein positions himself as for abortion-rights and not anti-abortion.
“I will veto any further restrictions on women’s reproductive freedoms,” Stein said at a recent rally in Greensboro.
In a sit-down interview with Spectrum News 1, Stein said, "I support the Roe framework, which entitles women to make their own decision on what to do with their body. Obviously, they will consult with their loved ones, they'll talk to their doctor, make that decision for themselves. The Republicans substantially restricted women's ability, dropping it to a 12-week ban, but the truth is they're not done."
Abortion-rights advocate Audra Gallant, who appears in one of Stein's advertisements, shared her personal struggle with the issue.
At 21 weeks pregnant, she learned her baby boy would not survive and faced severe health risks if she did not proceed with an abortion. “People really need to realize abortion is health care,” Gallant said. “We need doctors, not the government, to make these decisions.”
While Robinson’s campaign has sought to resonate with anti-abortion voters, he faces opposition from advocates like Gallant, who fear that a Robinson administration could lead to stricter abortion laws that threaten women’s lives.
Tonya Nelson, a longtime anti-abortion advocate and founder of the nonprofit pregnancy center Hand of Hope, provided a contrasting perspective.
Nelson recounts her own difficult choice 28 years ago when she opted for life with her baby over her fiancé’s ultimatum.
“I could not count the number of women that we have helped over the last 19 years who come back and say, ‘thank you for giving me the choice and time to make a decision. I’m so glad I chose life,” Nelson said. “I haven’t met a single woman who regrets choosing life for her child. But I couldn’t count the amount of women who have regretted choosing abortion.”
She aims to support women regardless of their decisions through her organization, which offers medical care, resources, support, education and more, while encouraging women and families to explore options of parenting or adoption.
The nonprofit is supported through donations and fundraisers, and Nelson just opened a coffee and gift shop in Fuquay Varina called Restored Mission Shoppe.
As the gubernatorial race heats up, both candidates will continue to navigate the complex and deeply personal issue of abortion, a topic that could significantly impact voter turnout and preferences.
Nelson hopes people will exercise their right to vote.
“I would encourage everyone to vote. You know, we have the right to vote in this country and we should take full advantage of that because not every country has the right to elect their leaders,” Nelson said. “So I think we should take full advantage of that opportunity that men and women fought and died for so that we could remain a representative republic.”