A GOP candidate for governor in Michigan is making headlines across the nation for comments she made on exceptions to abortion.
Tudor Dixon, the current frontrunner on the GOP side, said in a recent interview that a teenage victim of sexual assault is “a perfect example” of why abortion should be banned.
Dixon has been a staunch advocate for banning abortion in Michigan, as has every GOP candidate she’s running against.
Her comment has gone viral and may not align with what voters actually want.
In an interview with a conservative online news outlet, Dixon, the leading candidate to become the Republican nominee for governor in Michigan, asked about whether a 14-year-old victim of incestuous rape should have access to abortion.
Her answer is making national headlines.
“Perfect example,” said Dixon. “Because I know people who are the product, a life is a life for me, That is for me. That’s my feeling.”
The answer was criticized by Democrats, including the Michigan Democratic Party, which said in a statement, “her callous remarks are the perfect example of how dangerous Tudor Dixon would be for Michigan families.”
Read: Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidates debate in Grand Rapids
Dixon is currently leading the field by a narrow margin but isn’t alone in her stance.
Every candidate running for governor said they would uphold the state’s 1931 law banning abortion in any circumstance.
But that position and the law are out of step with Michigan GOP voters.
In the most recent Local4/Detroit News poll, 68% of Republican voters said they supported exceptions for abortion in cases of rape and incest. Seventy-one percent of self-described classic Republicans and 57% of self-described Donald Trump Republicans also supported exceptions.
Dixon’s comment also comes on the heels of a push in other states, including a high-profile case in Ohio where a 10-year-old rape victim was forced to get an abortion in Indiana, where lawmakers this week have proposed a ban on abortion with exceptions.
Read: Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidates square off
Local 4 had reached out to Dixon’s campaign for a chance to expand on her comment and explain whether when she said it’s her personal belief if she plans on using those beliefs to govern or if she was saying something else when making that distinction.
Her campaign did not get back to us.
As the situation is playing out, we’re still waiting to see if abortion access will end up on the ballot in November.
Last week 750,000 signatures were turned into the state for the petition to put abortion on the ballot.
On Thursday, at a board of canvassers meeting, the board said they have yet to start counting those signatures but are aiming for Aug. 31 as their deadline.
