((PKG)) ABORTION
((Banner: Abortion))
((Reporter: Katherine Gypson))
((Camera: Adam Greenbaum))
((Adapted by: Martin Secrest))
((Map: Fargo, North Dakota))
((Locater: Red River Women’s Clinic))
((Banner))
President Trump’s pro-life policies get strong support from voters in North Dakota.
Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp faces a reelection challenge from Republican Congressman Kevin Cramer.
((NATS))
((TAMMI KROMENAKER, RED RIVER CLINIC))
North Dakota has some of the most restrictive laws in the country and has for many, many years. Obtaining an abortion in North Dakota, there’s only one clinic. So, women from the western part of the state have to travel hours to get here, to get to the only clinic that there is. They have to navigate waiting periods. They have to receive state materials. There’s just a lot of barriers.
((NATS))
((JOHN TRANDEM, NORTH DAKOTA REPUBLICAN OFFICIAL))
We’ve got very outspoken management at the Fargo abortion clinic, and we’ve got very outspoken citizens in the pro-life community, not only with Lutherans for Life, but with the Catholic Church and many of the other evangelical churches who participate as well. We’ve got very pro-life legislators, both Republican and Democrat, and so the battle rages on, but North Dakota’s been at the forefront of that and passed a lot of landmark legislation that has been emulated by other states.
((NATS))
((TAMMI KROMENAKER, RED RIVER CLINIC))
So, North Dakota is a very conservative state, but back in 2014, when we had a so-called ‘Personhood’ (anti-abortion) ballot measure, on the general election, North Dakota voters overwhelmingly turned that down, and people stood up, and there was only one district in the entire state that voted for it. Every other district, it was overwhelmingly against it.
((NATS))
((JOHN TRANDEM, NORTH DAKOTA REPUBLICAN OFFICIAL))
This is a very strong Donald Trump state. That’s no secret to Heidi Heitkamp. It’s no secret to Kevin Cramer, who is a long time, early, early supporter of President Trump. Donald Trump is very popular in North Dakota. Heidi Heitkamp has been touting her, ‘I vote with Donald Trump 50 percent of the time.’ I’m not positive why people would vote for her because she votes with Donald Trump 50 percent of the time, when we have a congressman who votes with Donald Trump 90 percent of the time. So, I understand that she’s trying to draw the more moderate voters in, but the reality is North Dakota doesn’t have a ton of moderate voters. North Dakota has a lot of very hard conservatives, and a few, very hard Democrats.
((NATS))
