Katie Hobbs, the Democrat gubernatorial nominee in Arizona, remains silent after the Arizona Police Association (APA) called on her to denounce the “defund the police” positions of two pro-abortion groups that endorse her.
On Tuesday, APA President Justin Harris sent a letter to Hobbs, which was obtained by Fox News. It states that the “association is alarmed that your campaign has been endorsed by two groups, which openly support initiatives to ‘defund the police.'”
Harris notes that one of the groups is “Planned Parenthood in Arizona,” while Fox News reports the other to be NARAL Pro-Choice America. Hobbs, Arizona’s secretary of state, was “beyond honored to have the support of Planned Parenthood Arizona” after its endorsement announcement in May. Similarly, she said she was “proud to have NARAL Pro-Choice America’s” support in August.
A webpage entitled “Racial Justice,” which is part of a menu labeled “Intersectional Commitments and Supporting Policies” on NARAL Pro-Choice America’s website, states the group’s support of the defund the police movement:
NARAL Pro-Choice America supports the demands of the Movement for Black Lives, including defunding the police and investing in Black communities, which are a response to hundreds of years of systemic oppression and the failure of reforms to address urgent needs and injustices. Budgets reflect our priorities. As such, the call to defund the police is also a call for investment in Black communities—in urgent needs that are currently underfunded, like access to healthcare, education, social services, and more.
In 2020, Planned Parenthood’s Super PAC, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, announced its backing of the defund the police movement:
Planned Parenthood Action Fund — in solidarity with patients, staff, and supporters — stands with the Movement for Black Lives’ call to defund the police. Defunding the police means investing less in militarizing police forces and investing more in community-based solutions, education, and health care.
What is more, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona is not giving endorsements to candidates whose campaigns accept money from law enforcement groups, as Axios reported. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund did not respond to Axios’s phone calls asking if they support the prerequisite for endorsements.
“As you may know, Planned Parenthood in Arizona specifically forbids their endorsees from accepting any campaign contributions from law enforcement groups and recently rescinded an endorsement from a candidate who voted for police funding,” Harris noted in his letter.
“We ask that you strongly condemn these organization’s positions on defunding the police,” he added. “Should the people of Arizona choose you to be our next governor, the APA would like to be reassured that you will advocate for — and work with us to foster public safety.”
Hobbs, who in 2017 said former President Donald Trump’s base of supporters were “neo-nazi,” did not respond to a comment request from Fox News on the matter. Her Republican opponent, Kari Lake, who is endorsed by the APA, did provide a statement to the outlet.
“Katie Hobbs is a radical BLM activist who has turned her back on the badge and pledged to defund the police to appease her extreme, left-wing base,” Lake said in part.
Will Reinart, a spokesman with the Republican Governor’s Association, slammed Hobbs in a statement, calling her “a defund the police Democrat.”
“Hobbs didn’t just accept Planned Parenthood of Arizona’s endorsement on the condition that she reject the support of law enforcement, she refused to comment on or condemn the policy when asked to do so by Arizona police.”
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