Across the state in the past month Valley voters have flocked to events where mostly Arizona Democratic leaders have been rallying for women’s reproductive rights. 

In Tucson, Arizona state Sen. Priya Sundareshan and state Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton both sponsors of the Arizona Right to Contraception Act—condemned Kari Lake and Donald Trump for the historical attacks on contraception access and after the Trump-backed Republicans in the U.S. Senate blocked the passage of the Right to Contraception Act in early June. 

Both Senators were joined by Pima County Attorney Laura Conover, Amy Fitch-Heacock co-founder of Arizonans for Reproductive Freedom and Valley physicians who emphasized that only Joe Biden’s administration and Democrats are working to expand access to contraception and reproductive care, and remind people across the state at various events that Donald Trump is “looking at” policies restricting access to contraception—and his allies are planning to undermine access to birth control including emergency contraception and condoms if Trump is reelected through the Project 2025 plan’s mandate for leadership under extreme conservatism policy under Trump. 

“In America, access to safe, effective contraception should not be up for debate—but because of Donald Trump, it is,” said state Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton. “Even though the overwhelming majority of voters support access to birth control, Trump, Kari Lake, and these MAGA extremists want to block protections and cut off access to birth control across the country. Contraception is on the ballot this November.”

Once Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema—aligned as an Independent in 2023—made the  announcement that she would no longer seek reelection, Arizona voters will choose between Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego and Kari Lake the former gubernatorial candidate who lost to Katie Hobbs in 2022— for Sinema’s Senate seat in November. 

Even though Lake will face Sheriff Mark Lamb in the July 30 primary, she is considered the overwhelming frontrunner for the nomination. 

One voter suggested that Ms. Lake just wants to be elected to office any office in Arizona.  

In the two years since the mid-terms a painful realization has emerged for Lake with her  relentless parade of lawsuits, some at the cost of Arizona taxpayers and each one on display after the lawsuits (all unsuccessful) have continued to be accompanied by her spewing of election fraud and a “fraudulent” loss to Katie Hobbs. 

But the lawsuits aside, Northeast Valley News polling shows that Kari Lake has a bigger problem, one seen as a millstone around her neck; her cemented anti-abortion stance and her advocacy for the restriction of women’s reproductive rights. 

“Lake is not only a bit out there, but completely “untrustworthy” when it comes to women’s reproductive rights and healthcare,” says Kim Boreage of Chandler. “I honestly would never ever consider her when it comes to protecting women.”

Northeast Valley News asked 43 registered Arizona voters the following question:

“Do you trust Donald Trump to protect women’s reproductive rights?” 

More that 72% responded “no” to the question. When asked the same question about whether or not Kari Lake would protect women’s reproductive rights, 82% said “no”. 

It’s likely not a huge surprise that the Valley voters still see Ms. Lake and Donald Trump as staunchly anti-reproductive rights and women’s health. 

Many recall Lake as the gubernatorial candidate who presented forceful pledges during her fiery speeches and even interviews during the gubernatorial campaign that Arizona would be the “sanctuary state” for the unborn— along with her proclamation that abortion was the ultimate sin and that she was among those candidates that endorsed a federal ban on abortion.

And the words taken from Trump’s own mouth, will remind voters that he was indeed responsible  (something Trump loves to brag about) for the court that overturned Roe v Wade. 

Ms. Lake essentially carried the flag of support for laws that would eliminate (even criminalize) women for their personal reproductive rights and health choices.

“We will be there to refresh the minds of all voters in a country that is largely pro-choice,”  said Arizona abortion rights activist, Tammy Boyd.

Fast forward to her current senate campaign strategy and an apparent about face on the issue that has become political poison for her and other MAGA and GOP anti-abortion rights advocates. 

The problem for Trump, Lake and the MAGA faithful? Their extremism against women’s reproductive choice and women’s health is not popular with the people across the nation nor here in the Valley.  Many Arizonans told Northeast Valley News that “abortion rights will be front and center” for them in November. 

For now, Lake is a being a bit quieter about abortion but the voters that we spoke with aren’t buying a “softening” strategy on her part and see it as a way to keep them guessing.

“Trump ushered in the ability to make many of archaic—even criminalized abortion laws stick that were previously on state books but never enforced,” Boyd said. 

“What we’re seeing now is a state by state battle on abortion access and protection and even insane contraception measures and many GOP legislators are still calling up barbaric laws to put in place because they saw an open door with Roe v Wade being overturned, Republicans are doing this, not Democrats, there’s no more going backward,” Boyd said. 

Abortion activists say they’re all in for the fight and that even conservative states have broken with harsh abortion rulings and are standing successfully state by state against harsh abortion and reproductive laws and are determined to take back the right for women to control their personal healthcare choices.

“So tell Ms. Lake, Mr. Trump and all MAGA GOP candidates who try to eliminate and criminalize our choices even further, that they will hear from us at the ballot box.”

Groups like Ms. Boyd’s are aggressively working to make certain that abortion access is not only available in Arizona, but they are intent in making Arizona one of the most progressive states on abortion access with a “front line” of legal advocacy for women who are denied access.

“We won’t be Texas,” Boyd said.

Serena Martinez, a colleague of Boyd’s told Northeast Valley News, “We are not fooled by Kari Lake’s supposed reversal on abortion, nor Trump’s back and forth on women’s reproductive rights.”