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CONTACT: Aditi Katti, [email protected]
6/24/2024
Marlene Galán-Woods Statement on Second Anniversary of Supreme Court Decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization
Phoenix, AZ — Today, Marlene Galán-Woods, Democratic candidate for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, released the following statement on the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, citing that there is no constitutional right to an abortion.
“It’s been two years since the Supreme Court ruled to overturn a 50-year-old landmark decision, Roe v. Wade, that protected a woman’s right to an abortion. Since then, we have seen the Arizona Supreme Court uphold a civil-war era abortion ban. Thanks to the Democratic leadership of Governor Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes, the 1864 ban was repealed – but Arizona’s 15 week ban is still in place. Elections matter and voters will prove this again in November when they vote out anti-abortion extremists like David Schweikert.
“As the only mother and grandmother in this race, I know what it’s like for our rights to be decided by politicians and it is unacceptable that my daughter and granddaughter will have fewer rights than I did. Our fundamental freedoms are not up for debate and a women’s right to choose should remain between patients, families, and doctors. In Congress, I will fight to codify Roe v. Wade into law and protect IVF and birth control.”
Representative David Schweikert has spent his time in Washington working to restrict abortion access and control women’s bodies. Schweikert led the charge to criminalize abortion and sponsored a bill to ban IVF.
Galán-Woods has the support of leading pro choice groups and officials like EMILYs List, Attorney General Kris Mayes, and former Governor Janet Napolitano. She is also supported by majority of labor unions including the Arizona AFL-CIO, Teamsters Local 104, Ironworkers Local 75, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), National Education Association (NEA), Professional Firefighters of Arizona (PFFA).
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Marlene Galán-Woods is a 35-year Arizona resident, former broadcast journalist and mother of five children. Her parents fled communist Cuba looking for a better life for their children. Their risk paid off when Marlene moved to Arizona in the 1980s it’s where she began her career as a broadcast journalist, where she met the love of her life, and where they would raise a family together.
While Marlene’s late husband, Grant Woods, served as Arizona’s Attorney General, Marlene was exposing corruption and holding the powerful accountable during her 20-year journalism career.
Outside of their respective careers, Marlene and Grant were dedicated to improving the lives of Arizona children, from serving on the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley to spearheading a local tennis tournament that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to help underserved kids to helping found the Phoenix Children’s Museum. She is running to be Arizona’s voice — to represent our priorities and protect our freedoms. She will be the courageous, truthful leader Arizona has earned.
Though Marlene’s philanthropic efforts have focused on improving the lives of Arizona’s children, she has a passion for preserving and expanding the individual freedoms of all Arizonans.
She is a lifelong supporter of a woman’s right to choose and couldn’t stand by idly watching ongoing attacks on our voting rights.
In 2022, Marlene chaired the campaign of Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, and led a group of former journalists in calling out Republican candidates, namely Kari Lake, for their attacks on the media while spreading disinformation. Marlene’s dedication to the preservation of our democracy was recognized by Governor Katie Hobbs’ who invited Marlene to serve on her transition committee.
Galán-Woods is the only woman and mother in this race. If elected, she will be the first Latina to represent Arizona in Congress. She is the only candidate endorsed by a sitting statewide elected official, a member of the Arizona delegation, and the only candidate with endorsements from the labor community.
