Republican AG nominee: I support abortion exceptions to “not re-traumatize” women

With Election Day just under five weeks away, another Kentucky Republican seeking statewide office has spoken in favor of adding exceptions for rape and incest to the commonwealth’s restrictive abortion law.

In a new interview released Wednesday by Spectrum News 1, GOP nominee for Attorney General Russell Coleman said he believes that women impregnated by rape and incest are “crime victims first and foremost.”

“We would re-traumatize these women by forcing them to have a child that was conceived out of rape or out of incest,” Coleman said.

“While I will enforce the law as passed by the General Assembly — that’s the job — I am pro-life, but I support the exceptions for rape and for incest, to not re-traumatize these women, and I would ask, call on the General Assembly, to take a hard look at that issue.”

Following the reversal of Roe v. Wade last year, Kentucky’s trigger ban took effect, criminalizing abortion except when a pregnant person’s life is threatened. Concurrently, a fetal heartbeat law, or six-week ban, also became enforceable. That law outlaws abortion after fetal cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks of pregnancy.

As attorney general, Coleman would be responsible for defending Kentucky’s laws in court.

Prior to Coleman’s Spectrum News 1 interview, most of his comments about abortion had come in the form of candidate questionnaires and social media posts. One statewide anti-abortion group that opposes abortion even in cases of rape and incest noted Coleman had given “100% ProLife” answers to its questionnaire.

“Before my recent interview with Spectrum News, I had never stated nor been specifically asked whether the General Assembly should amend our pro-life laws,” Coleman said in a Wednesday night statement to the Herald-Leader. “After listening to prosecutors, crime victims and my family, I made a statement that I believe the law should be amended to include exceptions for rape and incest in addition to the existing exception for life and health of the mother.”

To him, being “100% pro-life” means limiting abortion while protecting victims of rape and incest, Coleman said, calling it a “mainstream position consistent with my faith that I believe most Kentuckians share.”

Abortion has emerged as a volatile issue in the Kentucky governor’s race contest between Democratic incumbent Andy Beshear and Republican challenger Daniel Cameron, the current attorney general.

Cameron has staunchly defended the abortion ban as-is, before saying little more than two weeks ago that he would sign a bill adding such exceptions.

In addition to being political allies who will appear together on the ballot this November, Cameron and Coleman are close personal friends; Cameron has said Coleman was the best man at his 2020 wedding.

Beshear has said he believes in “reasonable restrictions” on abortion and that Roe vs. Wade got it “generally right.”

Cameron’s evolving stance has subsequently been heavily scrutinized in the news media and by Democrats, with Beshear noting that “desperate people will say anything.” The Beshear campaign has also released two ads hitting Cameron for his support of the existing law, and Planned Parenthood is also running ads against him.

Coleman is seeking to take over Cameron’s seat in a race against Rep. Pam Stevenson, D-Louisville.

Ashley Wolsefer, Stevenson’s campaign manager, called Coleman a “dangerous extremist on abortion.”

“Kentuckians don’t want politicians like him in their exam room,” she said.

If elected, Stevenson would “refuse to prosecute patients or doctors under state law” and would use the attorney general’s bully pulpit to “defend the rights of patients and doctors,” the campaign said.

Tamarra Wieder, Kentucky State Director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, said Coleman is “talking out both sides of his mouth” on the issue, like Cameron.

“Coleman has the rubber stamp approval of several extreme anti-abortion organizations, because he, too, is extreme and out of touch with Kentuckians,” Wieder said. “With Coleman and Cameron leading our Commonwealth, sex offenders will have more freedom than their survivors. It’s atrocious.”

Coleman’s record on abortion

The Kentucky Right to Life Victory PAC endorsed Coleman in the Republican primary and noted he gave “100% ProLife Responses” to its questionnaire, which includes a section on exceptions for rape and incest.

“Irrationally, society expects her to kill her unborn child, not for something the child has done, but for the crime of his/her father. Once again the mother is pitted against her child,” the questionnaire says. “Subjecting her to an abortion only compounds the initial violence of the rape.”

Then, it asks two questions about rape and incest exceptions.

“Do you believe that a child conceived as a result of rape or incest is any less human, has any less dignity than a child conceived in the loving embrace of their parents?” The only answers listed are “yes” and “no.”

“Do you believe that a child conceived as a result of sexual assault should be protected by the same laws protecting the lives of children conceived naturally?” Again, the only answers listed are “yes” and “no.”

The document’s instructions say “all questions must be completed to be considered for an endorsement.”

In the Republican gubernatorial primary, the PAC’s website noted when another candidate, Kelly Craft, “did not respond to all questions” on the questionnaire. Instead of endorsing Craft, as it did for Cameron and two other GOP candidates, the PAC instead noted she was “recommended.”

The Herald-Leader asked Coleman’s campaign for a copy of his submitted answers. The campaign did not provide a copy.

However, in his written statement to the Herald-Leader, Coleman said he “will be an attorney general who is both pro-life and pro-victim.”

“These values are not in opposition to each other,” he said. “In fact, they are one in the same. Part of being pro-life is being compassionate to crime victims.”

The Herald-Leader also asked Addia Wuchner, executive director of Kentucky Right to Life, for clarity about the questionnaire. The paper asked if “no” was the desired answer to the first question, and “yes” the desired answer to the second.”

“Yes. 100% responses on the KY Victory PAC candidate questionnaire indicate their answers,” Wuchner said in a text message. “In addition, the PAC committee may utilize a face-to-face interview, community input, background, or voting record review.”

On X, the website formerly known as Twitter, Coleman posted on Aug. 1, 2022, that he was proud of Cameron for defending Kentucky’s laws and values after an appeals court reinstated the abortion ban.

“If I have the privilege to serve in the high office, I’ll build on this great work to fight for all human life,” Coleman posted, adding the hashtag “#prolife” at the end.

When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, Coleman posted the nation is “on the way to cherishing the sanctity of all life.” He also touted his endorsement from anti-abortion group, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, noting he will protect the state’s “pro-life values as the next Attorney General.”

Wuchner reiterated to the Herald-Leader that “the humanity of the child is not lessened by the circumstances of their conception.”

“Let me be clear, the gravity of sexual offenses such as rape or incest should never be in question. Unfortunately, during this governor’s race, I have watched the Beshear campaign spending thousands of dollars to put forth commercials and ads using this extremely personal and traumatic situation to commercialize the issue into political volley,” Wuchner wrote. “I find this political commercialization insulting to women and victims of such seriously grave offenses as they are about as political sport and used for political gain.”

Wuchner said leaders should instead examine “the impunities that contribute to the continued perpetuation of sexual violence in our communities and in our culture.”