Jonathan Paton Misleads Voters On His Extreme Anti-Choice Views: Dishonestly Tells Arizona He Supports Exemption For Rape, Tells Anti-Choice Groups The Opposite

WASHINGTON – Today, EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock strongly condemned newly minted GOP nominee Jonathan Paton’s dishonesty with Arizona voters.

Paton sought to distance himself from Missouri Republican Todd Akin’s comments about rape, telling the Tucson Weekly on Monday that he supported exemptions to anti-choice legislation for rape and incest victims. This position was in opposition to a 2012 questionnaire he filled out for the right-wing group Center for Arizona Policy (CAP) where he stated he did not support such exemptions. Paton told the Tucson Weekly that was an “error on the part of his campaign” that would be corrected with CAP. Paton’s comments can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/NsUaUQ

But the 2012 questionnaire was not the only place where Paton pledged to oppose rape and incest exemptions – he made the same claim in the CAP 2010 questionnaire, which can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/Q1N3kG. At that time, Paton did not blame a staff error.

“Jonathan Paton may have realized too late that his extremist views are toxic to Arizona women and families,” said EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock. “But that doesn’t mean he gets to lie to voters about where he stands. Arizona deserves to know the positions of folks who want to represent them in Washington, but Jonathan Paton doesn’t seem to think he needs to be honest. Women are smarter than that – and they’re going to turn out in November and reject his right-wing agenda. Arizona women need someone in Washington who’ll fight for their rights and their privacy – not someone who wants to make the government force a woman to carry a pregnancy to term under any circumstance.”

August 2012: Paton Explained He Supported Exceptions for Rape and Incest and the Health of the Mother. On August 27, 2012 the Tucson Weekly reported that Paton said “he opposes legal abortion in nearly all instances, but makes an exception for women who become pregnant as a result of rape or incest or who could face health issues as a result of their pregnancy.” [Tucson Weekly, 8/27/12]

June 2012: Paton Supported Prohibiting Abortion Except to Save the Life of the Mother. On a 2012 Center for Arizona Policy questionnaire, Paton stated he supported prohibiting abortion except where it was necessary to prevent the death of the mother. [CAP 2012 Questionnaire]

2010: Paton Supported Prohibiting Abortion Except to Save the Life of the Mother. According to the 2010 Center for Arizona Policy candidate questionnaire, Paton stated he supported prohibiting abortion except when it is necessary to prevent the death of the mother. [CAP 2010 Questionnaire]

In the 2009-2010 cycle, EMILY's List raised more than $38.5 million to support its mission of recruiting and supporting women candidates, helping them build strong campaigns, and mobilizing women voters to turn out and vote. With a community of more than 1,500,000 members across the country, EMILY's List is one of the largest political action committees in the nation. Since its founding in 1985, EMILY's List has worked to elect 87 pro-choice, Democratic women to the U.S. House, 16 to the U.S. Senate, nine governors, and hundreds of women to the state legislatures, state constitutional offices, and other key local offices. In the 2009-2010 cycle, EMILY's List had the largest number of members and donors in our 27 year history.