Team,

I’m an OB-GYN. I’m also a state representative here in Ohio. I know firsthand how incredibly important it is that patients have the right to make their own health care choices. So in a moment, I’m going to ask you to chip in to flip the Ohio Supreme Court – but first I want to tell you a little more about why doing so is so critical for reproductive freedom.

Last year – in the wake of the Supreme Court’s dismantling of federal protections for abortion in Dobbs – Ohio Democrats fought to pass Issue One in order to protect reproductive rights in the Ohio Constitution and prevent laws like the GOP’s extremist anti-abortion ban from taking effect.

We won. Because of that win, abortion should be accessible in Ohio. But that’s not actually the case.

Ohio Republicans refused to accept that Ohioans overwhelmingly defeated their efforts to ban our reproductive healthcare, so they’ve been dragging out Issue 1 in the Republican-controlled Ohio Supreme Court every day since then.

If we fail to flip the court in November, we’re at risk of living under an extremist abortion ban here in Ohio again despite having it enshrined in the Constitution. As a physician I have experienced those consequences when trying to care for patients who need abortions.

When the first GOP ban was in effect, physicians and patients weren’t sure what options they had. This led to a lot of confusion, and to patients being sent out of state for care – including a ten year old who needed abortion care. There were women in hospitals facing life-threatening situations, and doctors like myself and my colleagues were faced with the prospect of losing their patient or their license.

Data shows that states where abortion is banned or restricted have higher maternal mortality and infant death rates than ones where health care isn’t restricted by politicians.

We need to flip the Ohio Supreme Court to protect reproductive health care. I’m working every day to care for Ohio women and families. And the best prescription I can write is for us to elect Justice Michael Donnelly, Justice Melody Stewart, and Judge Lisa Forbes – the candidates who will support the Constitutional amendment which puts reproductive decisions back in the hands of physicians and patients, without interference from the government or politicians with no medical experience or background.

But time is running out before Election Day, and it’s all hands on deck. So I’m asking, right now: Will you pitch in $5 to help support the fight for reproductive healthcare and elect a pro-choice majority to the Ohio Supreme Court that will stand up for our healthcare access and our fundamental rights?

Thank you for standing up with me in this important fight.

Dr. Anita Somani
OB-GYN
Ohio State Representative, HD 11