Dogwood: "If Earle-Sears had her way and Virginia had implemented a six-week or 15-week abortion ban, it likely would have been a death sentence for Manassas resident Jenny Higginbotham."

VIRGINIA – New reporting from Dogwood details how Winsome Earle-Sears cheered on the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which left the door open to extreme restrictions on reproductive rights, and compared abortion to “slavery.”

“No matter how many times Winsome Earle-Sears runs away from questions, lies, or tries to hide from her extreme record attacking reproductive rights, Virginians know Sears supports a near-total abortion ban and ripping away women’s right to make healthcare decisions with their doctors,” said DPVA Spokesperson Maggie Amjad.

Dogwood: After comparing it to ‘slavery’ and ‘genocide,’ Earle-Sears now downplays opposition to abortion

• The Republican nominee for Virginia governor has a long history of taking extreme positions on abortion. The majority of Virginians support access to the procedure.
• Earle-Sears earlier this year took the unusual step of leaving a handwritten note on legislation advancing a state constitutional amendment to protect reproductive rights that read: “I am morally opposed to this bill; [...].”
• While running for lieutenant governor in 2021, Earle-Sears said she would support a six-week abortion ban similar to what Texas adopted, and told The Winchester Star that she considers abortion “genocide.”
• Earle-Sears, who is Black, also reportedly called abortion “another form of slavery” [...].
• Earle-Sears ultimately declined to tell Englander where she currently stood on abortion and did not respond to a request for comment on this story.
• She celebrated the US Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, stripping women of their constitutional right to abortion care. 
• “I applaud the Court for recognizing this wrong and having the courage to correct it,” she said in a statement at the time. 
• If Earle-Sears had her way and Virginia had implemented a six-week or 15-week abortion ban, it likely would have been a death sentence for Manassas resident Jenny Higginbotham.
• “I probably would not have survived if I tried to carry that pregnancy,” said Higginbotham, who also had a young daughter at the time. “I would have had a daughter with no mother.”
• She told Dogwood protecting reproductive rights is a top issue for her and that abortion decisions should not be up to politicians but rather the people involved who need the care.  
• “That’s why I can support Abigail Spanberger because I know she cares about that,” Higginbotham said. “And I know that’s important to her as well – that women retain their rights and Winsome Earle-Sears does not.”

###