The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade two years ago has made abortion a defining issue in the 2024 election, from the top of the ballot all the way down to local races.
Though California law largely protects the right to abortion, which will not appear on the statewide ballot, candidates’ positions remain bellwethers for voters.
“Reproductive freedoms are a fundamental human and constitutional right, and for good reason: Because everyone should be able to make decisions about their own bodies without government interference,” Mueller says on his campaign website.
“People can choose to consult with their doctors, their religious counsel, and their families and friends,” he said. “But we have to defend each person’s fundamental right to bodily autonomy.”
For her 2022 voting record, Valladares received an F on NARAL Pro-Choice California’s Reproductive Freedom Legislative Scorecard. But that same year, she was one of the only Republicans to vote in support of state Senate Constitutional Amendment 10, which placed a measure on the 2022 ballot to further protect the right to abortion in California.
In a statement, Valladares described herself as “a personally pro-life woman who supports exceptions in cases of rape, incest and life of the mother.”
“My position is safe, rare and legal. I do not support a national ban,” her statement said. “I voted for SCA 10 to place Prop 1 on the ballot and the federal government shouldn’t interfere with California voters ability to make choices on women’s reproductive healthcare.”