Contact: Casey Olesko 201.647.5502 / Casey.Olesko@ppgnnj.org

TRENTON, NJ — With just two weeks left until the New Jersey gubernatorial election, Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey (PPAFNJ) is ramping up efforts to get out the vote for Phil Murphy, the only candidate who unequivocally supports women’s reproductive rights and health care.

After the Christie-Guadagno administration cut funding to women’s health services, including cancer screenings and STD testing and treatment, New Jersey is now in the midst of a public health crisis. Since 2009, there has been a 35 percent increase in cases of bacterial STDs and an increase in breast and cervical cancer cases, with a disproportionate impact on communities of color, including an alarming 25.1 percent increase among Latinas. As the Trump administration continually takes steps to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, the next governor will play a crucial role in the future of affordable, quality health care in New Jersey.

“Lt. Gov. Guadagno has stood by silently for eight years while STDs and cancer cases increased in New Jersey,” said Christine Sadovy, political and legislative director with Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey. “Women in our state cannot get the health care services they need because of those cuts.”

Despite mounting pressure to take a clear stand on women’s’ health, Guadagno has been mostly silent on the issue. On the campaign trail, she has avoided answering questions about her position on family planning funding — even in the face of the Trump administration’s attacks on birth control coverage. When asked about family planning funding back at the Republican primary debate back in May, Guadagno claimed to be “pro-choice,” yet, she said she doesn’t want to restore family planning funds because Planned Parenthood provides safe and legal abortion care.

Murphy, on the other hand, has promised to restore and expand funding for desperately needed family planning programs and services. Murphy also has promised to work to ensure that birth control and all-FDA approved methods of contraception remain accessible to New Jersey women with no out-of-pocket costs.

“This election is chance to do better by the women of New Jersey and recover from the terrible legacy the Christie-Guadagno administration,” said Savoy. “We need to elect Phil Murphy for the sake of women’s health and rights.”

Through Election Day, New Jersey residents will find grassroots activists at train stations, knocking on doors and making phone calls to get out the vote for Murphy. PPAFNJ and their volunteers have been spearheading the Women For Murphy campaign, organizing debate watch parties, placing digital ads and hosting “Take Action House Parties.” Over the course of the campaign season, PPAFNJ has helped organize hundreds of women’s health supporters to participate in dozens of phone banks, neighborhood canvasses, commuter leafleting, volunteer parties and other events.