Despite Daylin Leach’s 100% Rating, Planned Parenthood Endorses Amanda Cappelletti
In Western PA, they endorsed a candidate who had a 0% rating In 2018, but who says he’s now Pro Choice.
A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood confirmed by email yesterday, that the organization had given Amanda Cappelletti its “exclusive endorsement” in the 17th District State Senatorial Race.
The same spokesperson could not, or would not give any more details as to how or why Planned Parenthood decided to endorse Cappelletti over incumbent Daylin Leach, who throughout the 17 years he has served in the Legislature, has never received anything but a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood.
Planned Parenthood Endorsed a “Recently-Converted-To-Pro-Choice” Candidate On Friday.
On Saturday (April 4), Penn Capital Star reported that PP Pennsylvania Advocates, the Politcal Arm of Planned Parenthood, had endorsed Adam Ravenstahl in the 20th Pennsylvania House District, Primary Election. HD-20 is located in Allegheny County and includes parts of Pittsburgh.
Ravenstahl’s endorsement came as a surprise to many, but nobody was more stunned than Ravenstahl’s Primary opponent, Emily Kinkead. “I’m shocked,” Kinkead told the Pittsburgh Current on Friday. “Shocked because I can’t believe someone saying I’m pro-choice erases a lifetime of anti-choice behavior. In his career, he’s had a chance to vote on legislation around this issue six times. Four of those times, he decided to vote anti-choice.”
Later that day, They “Co-Endorsed” Raventahl’s Opponent.
The Penn Capital Star reported “On Friday night, the group pivoted and said it was endorsing both candidates.
‘In response to passionate and thoughtful feedback from our community of supporters in Pittsburgh, Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania PAC is endorsing both Adam Ravenstahl and Emily Kinkead in the primary contest in HD 20,’ the PAC’s new executive director, Emily Callen, said in a statement.”
Ravenstahl’s four Anti-choice votes that Kinkead referred to were:
HB-574 limiting abortion access under the guise of making abortion facilities safer
HB-1977 limiting abortion coverage through insurance exchanges
SB-732 tightening regulations on abortion clinics
HB-818 prohibiting funding of abortion except in cases of rape or incest.
Leach responded to the Planned Parenthood endorsement, also by email:
“I am saddened about Planned Parenthood’s endorsement. Not for me. After 18 years of fierce advocacy and bold leadership in support of reproductive freedom my constituents know well where I stand. What saddens me is the damage that Planned Parenthood continues to do to the cause we both support.
In another race this year, from Western Pennsylvania, Planned Parenthood defended endorsing a long-time anti-choice incumbent who recently changed his mind, over a life-long pro-choice advocate by saying ” It hurts our ability to fight bad policies and advocate for good ones if we back away from candidates who have voted with us.” That statement is exactly right. Yet, for no apparent reason, without even a questionnaire or an interview, or even a phone call, they have chosen to “back away from” one of their strongest champions. I spent a full year of my life fighting every day (successfully) for access to emergency contraception in emergency rooms for rape victims. I introduced legislation which would enshrine Roe vs. Wade in state law. And I’ve been endorsed by PP in all of my previous runs for the state legislature. Here are just a few of many links to articles and videos of my frequent, constant, passionate advocacy for the issue PP claims they care about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_gx22WTEG8
Phillymag.com click here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRkrXGVoY5A
LEACH CHAMPIONS WOMEN’S REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ON SENATE FLOOR
What PP has done is make it extremely difficult to convince legislators to take tough votes in favor of reproductive freedom in the future. These legislators will know that if they take a risk and support PP’s position, when they are attacked for doing so in a future election, PP will not have their back. I am no fan of the NRA. But they are very good at what they do. Lawmakers know if you are with the NRA, they are with you, and that makes them extremely effective in Harrisburg. Planned Parenthood has undermined their credibility and hurt the cause of reproductive choice at a time the right to choose is in greatest peril. And that is beyond sad. It’s heartbreaking.”
Since a December 2017 Inquirer article accused him of inappropriate “sex talk” and touching, Leach has become a pariah to the leadership of the Democratic Party across Pennsylvania and in Montgomery and Delaware Counties. Governor Tom Wolf, Congresswomen Madeleine Dean and Mary Gay Scanlon, and County Chairs, Joe Foster (Montgomery) and Colleen Guiney (Delaware) have all endorsed Cappelletti.
However, after months of investigations, the law firm of Eckert Seamans, which had been retained by the State Senate Demcocratic Caucus, concluded that [regading Leach’s behavior] that there is no evidence of actionable discrimination or harassment in violation of applicable law or Caucus policies to the extent Caucus policies are interpreted as consistent with federal law.