* I told subscribers about this earlier today, but I’ve received two responses, so let’s all take a look at House Republican Leader Tony McCombie’s statement…
This Election, Illinoisans Deserve Leadership, Not Divisive Gender Tactics
“As the first female Leader in the Illinois House of Representatives, I proudly stand on the shoulders of many trailblazing women who fought for gender equality in our government. But as we shatter more glass ceilings, we must demand that women be valued for far more than their reproductive capabilities.
“As Republicans, we care deeply about responsible women’s healthcare that goes beyond the narrow confines of abortion. This includes access to vital services such as mammograms, IVF treatments, birth control, mental health care, and preventative care. Democrats claim they want the government out of a woman’s personal choices, yet they consistently inject these issues into the political arena to score points. It’s time we take the politics out of it and work together to find consensus. Our approach is about supporting women holistically, valuing them for far more than just their reproductive choices.
“I’m tired of the terms ‘women’s rights’ and ‘women’s healthcare’ being reduced solely to the decision of whether to continue with pregnancy. This election cycle, Democrats are once again attempting to make abortion the centerpiece of every discussion, flooding mailboxes with scare tactics designed to convince voters that Republicans are anti-woman. This narrative isn’t just false—it’s offensive.
“Illinois already has some of the most expansive abortion laws in the country. Like it or not, it’s the law, and this election cycle will not change that. Here’s the truth: abortion access is not under threat in Illinois.
“What is under threat? The economic future of our families. As I travel across the state, I hear the real concerns of Illinoisans—the skyrocketing cost of living, high taxes, illegal immigration, and the lack of good opportunities. These are the issues that keep families up at night, and under Democratic control, they’ve only gotten worse.
“Yet, the Democrats are stuck on a single issue—abortion—ignoring the broader struggles women face every day. Women are concerned about far more than just one issue. We manage household finances, stretching every dollar as grocery prices, healthcare costs, childcare, housing, and taxes climb. We’re business owners, entrepreneurs, and breadwinners. To reduce women’s concerns to a single talking point demeans EVERY woman in this state.
“I’m proud that our Republican candidates in Illinois offer diverse, thoughtful perspectives on many issues, including abortion access. What unites us isn’t uniformity of opinion—it’s a shared commitment to solving the real problems that affect every Illinoisan. We’re focused on rebuilding our state’s economy, ensuring safety in our communities, and improving quality of life for all.
“As the first female Illinois House Leader, I call on my Democratic colleagues to stop using fear and reductive gender tactics as political weapons. It’s time to address the issues that truly matter to voters. Women, like all Illinoisans, deserve leadership that listens to their concerns and works to solve them. Let’s move beyond the politics of fear and give the people of Illinois the leadership they deserve.”
* Personal PAC CEO Sarah Garza Resnick…
“Illinois’ House Minority Leader claimed that abortion isn’t under threat for Illinoisans, even as we face activist courts blocking emergency health care, threats of prosecution for abortion patients and providers, and a national abortion ban. Her statement lays bare how disconnected from reality that party’s candidates are on this issue.
“McCombie wants us to focus on economic issues. We agree. Abortion is an economic issue. It’s disingenuous and dehumanizing for her party not to connect reproductive freedom and financial impact. One recent study showed more than 70 percent of those denied abortion care end up living in poverty.
“McCombie wants to shut down talk of abortion because the Republicans in these contested races are universally anti-choice, and, thereby, out of touch with the electorate. They know their extreme views are unpopular–that’s why you won’t see any mention of abortion on most of their campaign materials or websites. But they can’t distance themselves from Donald Trump, his radical anti-choice Supreme Court, or the Project 2025 agenda and its extreme abortion restrictions.
“Personal PAC welcomes conversations about abortion with Republicans. We’ve backed Republicans in the past, and we are ready to do it again—as soon as they reject this harmful and unpopular anti-abortion politics that risk sinking their candidates, and put their own women voters in danger.”
Some suggested follow up reading for Leader McCombie and all others who may be interested:
* Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago)…
Leader McCombie’s comments about abortion are honestly sad. The Republican Party’s obsession with women’s uterii has been clear for decades. Because they don’t just vote to restrict access to abortion, they were also nowhere to be found when we expanded access to free-standing birthing centers to bring care to areas without maternity wards, voted against increasing access to Medicaid for post-partum care to combat maternal and infant mortality, and famously want nothing to do with making sure that families can afford to feed, house, and clothe babies once they’re born.
To borrow a phrase from my childhood, a hit dog gonna holler. Bottom line: it’s working. Keep talking about abortion and the full spectrum of reproductive care. The only reason she can say that access to abortion isn’t under attack here is because the people of Illinois have repeatedly expressed their belief that government interference in health care decisions is a non-starter with their votes for pro-choice Democrats.
Discuss.
…Adding… Gov. JB Pritzker…
Leader McCombie’s comments are the latest in a line of increasingly tired and desperate attempts by the Republican Party to distract from the radical, extremist policies that have alienated so much of their base in recent years. It was Illinois Republicans who claimed we didn’t need the Reproductive Health Act or other protections for reproductive healthcare that I enshrined in Illinois law—the same Republicans who then celebrated the ending of Roe and the attacks on IVF that would have spread to Illinois without those very same protections. It is Leader McCombie who demeans and reduces women by presuming that their bodily autonomy is a political talking point and not an existential threat to their autonomy and their political and economic freedom, and by presuming that women are not capable of caring deeply about more than one issue and making informed decisions on how to vote to protect themselves, their families, and their communities. While extremist Republicans are busy trying to strip rights from Illinois families, my administration not only protected reproductive freedom but increased funding to birth centers, worked to reduce maternal mortality, invested in early intervention and home visiting programs, and made healthcare more accessible for millions of Illinoisans—actual pro-family policies that go beyond empty rhetoric to make everyday people’s lives better.
