WASHINGTON — Today, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is elevating the campaign of Democratic Idaho House candidate Mary Shea in its 2024 Spotlight races list as she fights to flip a seat in the Idaho legislature. Mary Shea is running for HD-29A to hold Republicans accountable for their egregious record of passing some of the nation’s harshest attacks on rolling back fundamental freedoms.
- Mary Shea is a civil rights and child welfare lawyer and former teacher. She’s running to support mental health resources in schools, remove unnecessary obstacles to voting, and rework Idaho’s extreme abortion ban that endangers pregnant patients’ lives.
Idaho Republicans have made national headlines around their extreme agenda – including an extreme total abortion ban that includes banning emergency care. The Republican law is so contentious and dangerous that it’s made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which could rule in Idaho’s favor and set a chilling example for other state legislatures to prevent doctors from providing emergency abortion care. This extreme law isn’t an isolated incident. Last year, Idaho Republicans led the nation in passing a first-of-its-kind “abortion trafficking” law that bans minors from pursuing out-of-state abortion care without parental consent and imposes criminal penalties on anyone who helps a minor get an abortion or obtain abortion pills without parental consent. This law could allow for lawsuits against doctors and is so dangerous the courts have blocked its enforcement. Chipping away at Republicans’ stronghold in Idaho is essential to put an end to egregious GOP attacks that originate in Idaho and can be replicated in other Republican states.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement:
“Idaho has unfortunately become a hotbed for some of the most extreme Republican attacks on reproductive freedom. Republicans’ unchecked power in the legislature has enabled them to veer towards the worst MAGA policies, as we’ve seen on full display since their attacks on emergency abortion care are now being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court. To stop these horrendous attacks on fundamental freedoms from taking form and spreading, building Democratic power across the country is essential. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is proud to spotlight Mary Shea as she fights against dangerous extremism and campaigns to flip a seat in the Idaho legislature.
“We’re thrilled to include Mary Shea in our Spotlight program which uplifts some of the most important races across the country. As the only committee setting the agenda for the national landscape of state legislatures, our long-term strategy to build Democratic power includes highlighting champions of fundamental freedoms in every corner of the country. This is the most important ballot level, and 2024 is the year of the states.”
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is the official Democratic Party committee dedicated to winning America’s state legislatures and building state infrastructure. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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