Wendy Davis is running for office. She also has a book out. We’ve seen this all before. No big deal, right?
No big deal except for the fact that this is Texas and the Democratic gubernatorial candidate’s memoir includes an abortion.
The last time Davis spoke personally about abortion (specifically, the ending of an ectopic pregnancy during an epic 13-hour filibuster over a new state abortion law) she was launched into the national spotlight.
Now, in Forgetting to be Afraid, Davis reveals that she terminated another pregnancy in which the fetus had developed a severe brain abnormality.
Supporters are applauding the revelation. “Having that kind of personal story around what is a divisive issue will help,” said a 35-year-old campaign volunteer to The Associated Press.
Republicans thinks so as well, and are taking steps to curb the promotion of the book:
Republican opponent, Attorney General Greg Abbot, asked the Texas Ethical Commission Monday to decide on the legality of Davis’ book-promotion activities during the campaign. His request asks for “clarification regarding whether the book publisher’s promotional advertising activities constitute in-kind- contributions,” according to a news release.
Davis says that her memoir wasn’t meant to boost her campaign, but rather to help families facing a similar choice.
The 1996 abortion was “a deeply profound part of my personal story,” and reading about other families’ experiences at the time “helped tremendously,” Davis told The Associated Press on Monday during the first stop of her book tour.
This GalleyCat agrees with Davis, but decided to investigate Abbot’s claims because of, well, Texas. Need I say more?
According to the Federal Election Commission’s Citizen’s Guide, the donation of office machines, furniture, supplies—anything of value, including a donation of services—is an in-kind contribution and its value counts against contribution limits.
Can any of you GalleyCats out there let us know if there’s a precedent for this?