Republican Candidates For 6th PA District React To Roe v. Wade Leak

CHESTER COUNTY —All four Chester County candidates running in the May primary for the Republican nomination to represent Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District agreed Tuesday that the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision should be overturned.

Ron Vogel, 36, Chester Springs; Steve Fanelli, 60,West Chester; Guy Ciarrocchi, 57, and Regina Mauro, 57, both of Tredyffrin Township, are running on a pro-life platforms.

A half a century ago, the nation’s highest court ruled 7-2 establishing a woman’s Constitutional right to have an abortion should be left to the woman and her doctor, not the government.

A draft opinion on a Supreme Court case hearing the appeal of Mississippi’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks was leaked to the online news site, Politico, on Monday.

On Tuesday, Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed that the leaked document was authentic, but said that it was only a draft.

He announced the Supreme Court would investigate the leak.

If the court strikes down Roe, abortion rights would be left to the states. Patch.com reported Tuesday that a shift in power to local level makes the 2022 election in Pennsylvania more impactful.

Four Republican candidates are trying to unseat Chrissy Houlahan, a Chester County Democrat, who was elected in 2018.

Houlahan said Tuesday the leak brought urgency to pending legislation, the Women's Health Protection Act, which would codify the Roe v. Wade decision into federal law.

Houlahan said she supports the proposed law protecting reproductive rights.

Republican candidates react

“I believe Roe was wrongfully decided,” Mauro said, echoing the sentiments of all of the candidates.

“If the reports are accurate, the court is not deciding abortion laws, it's turning the issue back over to the state legislatures and Congress, where the matter should have always been. I remain pro-life, and will work to protect the unborn.”

Ciarrocchi said he is pro-life, and as a former prosecutor, he is deeply troubled by this leak.

“We must have faith in our judiciary—and, the justices must act free of political pressure, following only the Constitution and laws of our nation when they reach their decisions,” Ciarrocchi said. “Our nation depends on it.”

Ciarrocchi said there were over 30,000 abortions in Pennsylvania last year.

“We should all be focused on reducing that number—and, taxpayers should not pay for abortions,” he said.

Vogel said he is distraught that the draft opinion was leaked.

Vogel said he is a strong advocate for protecting the unborn child after experiencing the loss of his unborn daughter in 2016 when his pregnant wife was in a hit-and-run automobile accident.

“I am happy Roe v. Wade will be overturned,” he said. “We need to protect the unborn.”

Leak: political maneuvering

Fanelli said the leak is about politics, not abortion.

“Whoever leaked it is attempting to undermine the legitimacy of one of the three branches of our federal government and bully them into a decision,” Fanelli said.

“The politicians on the left are using hyperbolic language telling their base that women are going to die having back alley abortions because of this decision,” he continued. “People on the right are celebrating a win for unborn babies.”

Fanelli said abortion does not become illegal if this is the decision of the court; it returns it to the states and into the hands of “We the People.”

He said saving the unborn and respect for life is a spiritual battle, which is much easier to fight when we are united.