And a Vote for Bob Stefanowski is a Vote for Mark Boughton

In the three months since Family Institute of Connecticut Action Committee endorsed Tim Herbst for Governor we have avoided open criticism of the other candidates running in the August 14th primary. But Mark Boughton’s answer to the abortion question in the last debate is so outrageous that FIC PAC must now formally address it.

During last week’s WFSB News debate, Boughton was asked what he would do as Governor if Roe v. Wade was overturned under the next Supreme Court. “Would you leave Connecticut’s abortion-rights law as it is? Or would you call for change in it, and try to impose restrictions in line with such a ruling?”

Here is Boughton’s answer:

“I’m personally pro-life. And I believe strongly that government should not get between a woman and her doctor. So, what that means is that the status quo for me is just fine. It’s settled law and it’s also part of our statutory scheme here in the State of Connecticut. I wouldn’t push to overturn, or if it was remanded back to the states, push for any sort of legislation surrounding this. This is a decision that has to be made by the woman, her family, as well as the doctor as to what’s the best and in the best interests for the woman.”

You can see Boughton’s answer for yourself at the 39:50 mark. FIC PAC is grateful for the transcript of Boughton’s answer, which was provided by Connecticut Right to Life’s Chris O’Brien. See Chris O’Brien’s Facebook note here.

FIC Action first raised concerns about Boughton in 2016. Following Bougton’s comments at a previous debate this year, Peter Wolfgang revisited those concerns in an article for The Stream and on his personal Facebook.

But now that Boughton has made his worst comments of all on abortion, the issue must be formally addressed by FIC PAC.

It is an insult to pro-lifers. Not merely a different position than ours, but an outrageous insult to us and to the intelligence of Connecticut’s voters, both pro-life and pro-choice.

Say what you will about the Erin Stewarts of the world (we certainly have) but give them this: At least they’re honest. They’re not misrepresenting to you where they really stand on the issue of abortion.

Boughton, on the other hand, is misrepresenting when he says he is pro-life.

To be pro-life is, by definition, to want to restore legal protection to the unborn. If you do not share this goal, you are not pro-life. To be pro-choice is, by definition, to support the legal right to kill an unborn child.

To say you are pro-life but you support the legal right to abortion is to misrepresent who you really are. It’s a tremendous insult to the pro-life movement, to those of us who have worked for 45 years to restore legal protection to the unborn. Politicians who are forthrightly pro-choice have more integrity than Mark Boughton because they at least pay the pro-life movement the respect of having an honest disagreement with us.

Indeed, there are pro-choice politicians who nonetheless support parental notification. Boughton doesn’t even do that. So Boughton claims to be pro-life while holding a public policy position that is actually more pro-abortion than many pro-choice politicians.

That is, Boughton has somehow put himself to the left of Erin Stewart on abortion while claiming to be pro-life. That’s pathetic.

The primary is this Tuesday. In the time that remains, FIC PAC wants to say something to our fellow conservatives who do not yet support Tim Herbst for Governor as clearly as we can.

A vote for Bob Stefanowski is a vote for Mark Boughton.

If Mark Boughton is your worst case scenario, as he now is ours in the pro-life movement, know that you are helping to nominate him if you throw away your vote on Bob Stefanowski.

Stefanowski was the front runner for much of the year because he drove up his name recognition with early advertising. But that also made him the number one target by the time the race got serious, and David Stemmerman’s attacks have effectively knocked Stefanowki out of the race.

It is now a two-man race between conservative Tim Herbst and liberal Mark Boughton.

Stefanowski voters are loyal to a fault. FIC PAC’s biggest concern right now is that, because of that, Stefanowski voters may take just enough votes away from Herbst to throw the election to Boughton.

Tim Herbst is endorsed by the CCDL and FIC PAC. Tim Herbst was the only candidate for Governor to defend the flag in Haddam. For these and a hundred other reasons, Herbst is the only conservative candidate in this race who can beat Mark Boughton.

Read Mark Boughton’s answer on abortion, above, carefully and consider where we will be on Tuesday night if Mark Boughton is the Republican Party’s nominee for Governor. Even if pro-life is not your issue, consider Boughton’s flip-flops on the Second Amendment, income tax repeal, etc.

Mark Boughton cannot be trusted. But Mark Boughton is what we will get on Tuesday unless every conservative in Connecticut supports Tim Herbst for Governor.

Please vote for Tim Herbst for Governor, Joe Markley for Lieutenant Governor and Art Linares for Treasurer. And please give whatever volunteer time you can between now and when the polls close on Tuesday night to them and especially to Tim Herbst.

Spread the word by sharing this blog post with five voters. Ask them to vote for our candidates on Tuesday in addition to volunteering.

Paid for and approved by Family Institute of Connecticut Action Committee, Stephen Lyon, Treasurer