Cindy Axne: Reproductive rights are on the ballot. Leave government out of medical decisions.

There’s no question that a woman should be able to control her own body — but on June 24, 2022, that fundamental right was stripped away. The Supreme Court struck down nearly 50 years of precedent that guaranteed women access to an abortion. In our nation's history, seldom has the court taken rights away.

Now, choice is on the ballot this election, and your choice couldn’t be more clear. While I have fought to protect women's health, my Republican opponent in the race for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, state Sen. Zach Nunn, has tried to enforce severe restrictions on abortion in Iowa. We can't let him take our rights.

Women have been on a centuries-long march toward equality — gaining voting rights, property rights, financial rights, you name it — and it’s been an exhausting, unrelenting journey.

Yet here we are, in 2022, forced to turn back the clock as we find ourselves once again on the front lines in a battle for bodily autonomy like the generations of women before us.

Another View: Zach Nunn: I'm pro-life, and I support protecting the life of the mother, and the baby

I want to let Iowans know where I stand on this issue. The only people who should be involved in women’s reproductive decisions are women, their families and their doctors — not the government.

Throughout my time in Congress, I’ve heard countless stories from women in every corner of Iowa about what reproductive freedom has meant for them.

One woman told me that her ability to get an abortion protected her from being tied to her abusive partner forever.

Another said that her ability to have her family on her own terms allowed her to pursue the future that she always dreamed of as a child.

We know these stories aren’t unique — they’re shared by families across our state. This was echoed at a recent roundtable that I hosted with Planned Parenthood with reproductive rights activists and community leaders in the wake of the Dobbs decision.

More: Abortion rights activists frustrated with get out the vote messaging

More: U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, state Sen. Zach Nunn battle over abortion in 3rd District race

The right to make your own reproductive health care decisions is fundamental — and a majority of Iowans agree.

That’s why I've been leading the charge to protect women’s health care.

I joined 218 of my colleagues in the House of Representatives in passing the Women’s Health Protection Act to effectively codify Roe v. Wade into law, ensuring a nationwide right to reproductive health care decisions for women. It’s long past time the Senate act and do the same so this bill can be sent to the president’s desk.

But we have to be clear about what we’re up against.

While I’m working hard to restore this right, far-right politicians are working just as hard to make sure that more abortions are banned in our state.

Take Zach Nunn, for example.

During a 3rd District Republican primary debate hosted by WHO-TV, my opponent was asked to raise his hand if he believes if abortions should be outlawed — even in cases of rape or incest — with no exceptions.

He raised his hand “yes.” See for yourself.

Despite his recent attempts to walk this moment back, this showed Iowans — clear as day — how Zach Nunn acts when he believes only his base is watching.

The moment we’re in could not be more dire following this unprecedented move by the Supreme Court. The importance of protecting women’s reproductive rights cannot be overstated, which is why I need your help. Reproductive rights and the health care rights of women are on the ballot this November.

Anyone who is ready to take back their rights can join me in this fight by researching which candidates from local through the federal levels in their area are standing up for women’s rights, and by showing up to vote on Election Day — Nov. 8, 2022.

You know where I stand. I hope you’ll stand with your daughters, granddaughters, wives, and sisters who until now had the same rights as a man, because we’re all in this together.

Cindy Axne represents Iowa's 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House. The Democrat is running for re-election in the 3rd.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Cindy Axne: Reproductive rights are on the ballot this November