Beshear campaign ad criticizes Cameron stance on abortion exceptions

Published 2:05 pm Friday, September 22, 2023

Gov. Andy Beshear’s campaign is running a new ad calling out Republican governor candidate Daniel Cameron for his stance on abortion exceptions for incest and rape.

It features Hadley, a young woman from Owensboro who says that she was raped by her stepfather at age 12. She directly calls Cameron out in the ad.

“This is to you Daniel Cameron,” Hadley says. “To tell a 12-year old girl she must have the baby of her stepfather who raped her is unthinkable. I’m speaking out because women and girls need to have options. Daniel Cameron would give us none.”

This comes as Cameron has recently seemingly reversed his public stance on abortion exceptions.

During the primary, Cameron avoided directly stating whether he supported exceptions for rape or incest in Kentucky’s current abortion laws, which include the 2022 Humanity in Healthcare Act and a 2019 trigger ban enacted when Roe v. Wade was overturned.

The state’s near-total abortion ban includes an exception when the life of a pregnant person is in danger.

As attorney general, Cameron defended these laws in court.

“I support the current law … ” Cameron said during a March primary debate. “I will continue to support the Human Life Protection Act and the exception that exists therein but again, I understand the delicacy of this issue.”

This week, Cameron said on a radio show that he would support rape and incest exceptions.

“If our legislature was to bring legislation before me that provided exceptions for rape and incest, I would sign that legislation,” he said. “There’s no question about that.”

Cameron criticized Beshear for running the ad, saying that he is “running the most despicable campaign in Kentucky history.”

“He lectures us on partisanship and unity, then runs disgusting, false attacks,” Cameron said in a video statement. “I have said if the legislature were to bring me a bill with exceptions, I would sign it.”

The attorney general went on to call Beshear’s abortion stance extremist.

Beshear has vetoed several pro-life bills, including a 15-week ban in 2022. He has also called the 2019 trigger ban “too extreme.”

However, he typically shies away from talking about abortion — until now.

“Under Kentucky’s current law — which Daniel Cameron supports and defended to the Supreme Court — women and girls like (Hadley) would have no options,” he said in a Tweet including the new ad.