Arizona Republican Senate nominee Blake Masters received an endorsement Tuesday from the nation’s oldest pro-life organization, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC).
“National Right to Life is pleased to endorse Blake Masters for election to the U.S. Senate,” said Carol Tobias, president of NRLC. “Blake Masters has what it takes to flip the Arizona Senate seat, and he will be a strong defender of the right to life in the Senate.”
“Blake Masters is a strong pro-life leader and will carry the pro-life message to Congress that we must protect and defend both unborn babies and their mothers.” @LifeNewsHQ https://t.co/aBTfycNzMn
— Blake Masters for U.S. Senate Press (@MastersPress) August 11, 2022
The Arizona Sun Times reached out to Masters’ campaign for a comment on the endorsement, but it did not respond.
According to the NRLC, its endorsement came because Masters supported pro-life legislation such as the Hyde Amendment, which bars using federal funds to cover abortions unless the woman’s life is in danger or the pregnancy results from incest or rape.
Furthermore, unlike Masters’ Democratic rival for the Senate seat, incumbent Mark Kelly (D), he opposed the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021, which NRLC dubbed the “Abortion Without Limits Until Birth Act.” While the bill failed, if enacted, it would have prohibited governmental bodies from placing restrictions on abortions before fetal viability or any point during the pregnancy when a healthcare provider determines that continuation will endanger the mother’s life.
“Unlike Mark Kelly, Blake Masters would oppose the Biden-Schumer abortion agenda which includes abortion on demand for any reason and taxpayer funding of abortion,” said Tobias. “Blake Masters is a strong pro-life leader and will carry the pro-life message to Congress that we must protect and defend both unborn babies and their mothers.”
Furthermore, the National Abortion Rights Activist League (NARAL) recently slammed Masters for his “anti-choice extremism” and for supporting a national abortion ban. On the other hand, the NARAL endorsed Kelly as “a leader for reproductive freedom” and “the leader Arizona needs to protect and expand access to abortion in this critical moment.”
However, a candidate profile on Masters by Mother Jones shared that he has allegedly not always held the pro-life view. According to the outlet, Masters was a self-proclaimed libertarian in his college years at Stanford and lived in the Columbae, a left-wing vegetarian co-op. After graduating, Masters continued emailing the Columbae listserv about various topics, one reportedly showing a pro-choice stance. The email shared with Mother Jones revealed that Masters wanted a group that was both pro-gun and pro-choice, viewing both as pro-freedom, “I would join,” he said. Mother Jones did not receive word from Masters’ campaign stating when his position changed to pro-life.
Masters, in a 2021 interview with conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey, spoke about his pro-life stance.
“I’m unapologetically pro-life. I think it’s obviously the correct position. It’s so important,” Masters said. “I think the federal government has a role to play here. I think that Congress should have a debate and pick a certain point and say ‘we’re going to recognize, right here, federal personhood,’ and pass that. Absolutely no abortions.”
Masters continued the interview by saying abortion has become a “religious totem” for people on the left, and he thinks it is “demonic.” He further stated that he cares about children after they are born, not just when they are in the womb, and that there needs to be a focus on helping middle-class families and single mothers to make America the best place to raise children.
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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Blake Masters” by Blake Masters.
