Phoenix – Former Congressman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Matt Salmon on May 3rd, issued the following statement in response to the circulation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization:

"The pro-life issue is the reason I first got involved in politics as a young man. I didn't know much, but I knew that the Republican Party believed in life. Having a family has only strengthened my resolve, with my four children and nine grandchildren serving as constant reminders that life is a precious gift given to us by God.

"The opinion being circulated is marked as a 'draft' for a reason. However, if this draft opinion is any indication, the U.S. Supreme Court appears primed to save countless babies' lives by delivering what pro-life Americans have been dreaming about for decades – and I am incredibly grateful.

"I have spent my career advocating for strong families and pro-life policies, and I promise to continue that vitally important tradition as Arizona's next governor."

BACKGROUND:
In September 2021, Salmon called on Arizona state lawmakers to move forward with new pro-life legislation after the U.S. Supreme Court's initial ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.

In January 2022, Salmon and his wife Nancy helped lead the annual Arizona for Life March & Rally by holding the banner at the front of the march.

In March 2022, Salmon predicted at a meeting of the Estrella Conservative Republican Club:

"Guess what [the U.S. Supreme Court is] going to do this summer? Everybody foresees it. They're going to uphold Mississippi's law banning abortion after 15 weeks. A lot of us believe they're going to turn the ability to regulate abortion back to the states, which is what it should have been all the time. And, if we do that, Arizona has got a great law on the books and we'll be saving a lot of babies' lives."

The following week, Salmon applauded Governor Doug Ducey for signing Senate Bill 1164, pro-life legislation that will "guide the conscience of parents-to-be" and "empower the formation of healthy, happy families across Arizona."