New ad by PAC hits Ronchetti on abortion

Jul. 13—A political action committee linked to the Democratic Governors Association is forcing Republican Mark Ronchetti to go on the defensive on the hot-button issue of abortion.

Ronchetti released a new TV ad this week in response to an ad from a PAC that calls itself A Stronger New Mexico, which asserts Ronchetti "opposed a woman's right to control her own body 'at all stages' and praised" the U.S. Supreme Court "for giving that power over women to politicians like him."

The ad claims "governors get power over abortion rights" with Roe v. Wade overturned and also links Ronchetti to an endorsement from National Right to Life, the nation's largest anti-abortion group, when he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2020.

"Extremists who'd outlaw abortion even in cases of rape and incest said he's their choice for New Mexico, which makes Ronchetti the wrong choice for governor," the narrator says in the ad.

While still calling himself "pro-life," Ronchetti said after the Supreme Court ruling New Mexico should allow abortions up to 15 weeks of pregnancy and in cases involving rape, incest and when a mother's life is at risk. He called his recently updated stance on abortion "a very reasonable position that most in New Mexico will support regardless of party affiliation."

"While I am pro-life, governors cannot act alone and any changes to our laws will require collaboration and agreement with the Legislature," he said in a statement. "As governor, I would seek a middle ground."

In his new ad, Ronchetti says voters deserve to know where candidates stand on issues, "not be scared by false ads."

The dueling ads are another sign the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will be a recurring topic and point of contention in the New Mexico governor's race.

They also point to the spending of huge sums of money not just by the gubernatorial candidates but national groups that have a vested interest in the outcome.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who will face Ronchetti in November, is a former chairwoman of the Democratic Governors Association.

Campaign finance reports list Andrew Whalen, director of the association's independent expenditure team, and Jillian Edelman, the association's chief operating officer, as principal officer and treasurer of the PAC, respectively.

Neither returned messages for comment Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for the Washington, D.C.-based political organization, which is dedicated to electing Democratic governors and other candidates, said the association wants to make New Mexicans aware of Ronchetti's abortion stance.

"What a woman can and cannot do with her body should not be dictated by politicians, but that's exactly what Mark Ronchetti wants," Christina Amestoy said in a statement.

"At a time when women's reproductive freedoms are being ripped away, we need a governor in New Mexico who will vow to protect them, not a politician like Ronchetti whose mealy-mouthed rhetoric points to his ultimate agenda — the unthinkable rolling back of access, care, and fundamental rights for women," she said.

Ronchetti's campaign called the PAC's ad false and misleading.

"Here's the truth: The governor supports abortion up to birth. That's extreme," Ronchetti says in his ad. "I'm personally pro-life, but I believe we can all come together on a policy that reflects our shared values."

Ronchetti also says New Mexico "can end late-term abortion while protecting access to contraception and health care."

Ronchetti's position has shifted somewhat since he won the June primary in a five-way race.

He has previously stated "life should be protected at all stages" and that "unborn babies just happen to be living inside their mother."

Delaney Corcoran, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Party of New Mexico, accused Ronchetti of "blatantly lying" and "trying to trick New Mexico voters into believing he has a 'reasonable' stance on abortion access."

Follow Daniel J. Chacón on Twitter @danieljchacon.