At stake in Mastriano vs. Shapiro, the fate of abortion rights in Pennsylvania | Editorial

Abortion is on the ballot this year.

Nowhere is the choice clearer than in Pennsylvania. The races for governor and U.S. Senate could determine whether people have access to reproductive rights in Pennsylvania and nationwide.

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, unraveling a nearly 50-year precedent guaranteeing a right to an abortion and opening the door for states to outlaw the procedure. So far, 14 states have banned most abortions, and some leading Republicans are pushing for a federal ban.

In Pennsylvania, abortion is legal within the first 23 weeks of pregnancy. Whether that remains the law of the commonwealth depends on who is elected governor on Nov. 8.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano is all-in on outlawing abortion in Pennsylvania. In the spring, Mastriano said abortion was his “No. 1 issue.”

» READ MORE: Across the nation, a grim preview of what could happen if abortion is outlawed in Pa. | Editorial

If elected, Mastriano promised to “move with alacrity” to ban abortion after about six weeks into a pregnancy. He made clear his ban would include victims of rape and incest. “I don’t give a way for exceptions,” Mastriano said.

Mastriano dismissed a pregnant person’s right to choose what to do with their own body, saying: “My body, my choice is ridiculous nonsense.” So much for privacy, freedom, and individual rights.

Given the state House and Senate in Pennsylvania are controlled by Republicans, if elected, Mastriano would have a clear path to outlaw abortion.

The current governor, Tom Wolf, a Democrat who is completing his second term and is barred from running for reelection, is the only thing keeping Harrisburg lawmakers from imposing Texas-style antiabortion measures. Since Wolf took office, the General Assembly has introduced six different antiabortion bills. Wolf vetoed three measures that made it to his desk and vowed to veto any others that came before him.

» READ MORE: With Roe decision, Supreme Court sneers at precedent — and places women’s health in jeopardy | Editorial

Mastriano’s opponent is Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat. Like Wolf, Shapiro supports a pregnant person’s right to an abortion in Pennsylvania. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe, Shapiro rallied in defense of abortion rights with hundreds of others at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

Research shows that abortion bans do not stop people from seeking abortions. But the bans do increase the health risk to pregnant people and lead to more deaths.

That has not stopped some Republicans who are now pushing for a national abortion ban. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) introduced a bill recently to prohibit abortions nationwide after 15 weeks. More than 80 House Republicans support a ban at 15 weeks. Former Vice President Mike Pence said barring most abortions after 15 weeks was “profoundly more important that any short-term politics.”

Republican lawmakers in purple and blue states are not as eager to publicly embrace a national ban, fearing a backlash from voters. But that could change after the election. That means control of the evenly divided Senate could determine if abortion is banned nationwide.

Mehmet Oz, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, has been squirrelly when it comes to the abortion issue. He recently said he did not support a federal ban on abortion “unless there was broad bipartisan support.” But Oz also claims to be “pro-life.” At a town hall last spring, Oz said abortion is “murder” at any stage.

If elected, Oz would likely fall in line with his Republican colleagues if they had the votes to pass a national ban. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are seeking to pass a bill that would legalize abortion nationwide. Oz’s opponent, John Fetterman, the Democratic nominee, supports abortion rights. Fetterman issued a statement that said: “abortion is a decision that should only be made by a woman and her doctor.”

Pennsylvanians deserve to have a fundamental right they had for nearly 50 years before three new Supreme Court justices decided to upend the legal precedent.

The stakes are high in Pennsylvania, and the choice on Election Day is clear.