EVERETT – The state’s leading anti-abortion organization is withdrawing its endorsement of Rep. David Simpson because it learned he also had received the backing of an abortion-rights group.
The political action committee of Human Life of Washington had endorsed the 38th District Democrat after he scored 100 percent on its candidate questionnaire. But the group began re-evaluating its decision last week after The Herald informed it that Simpson had also scored 100 percent on the questionnaire from the state’s largest abortion-rights group, NARAL Pro-Choice Washington.
“The bottom line is that if he supports NARAL’s position, we can’t endorse him,” said Human Life’s CEO, Dan Kennedy. “From a broader perspective, if he has that much difficulty understanding our questionnaire and NARAL’s questionnaire, and where each side is coming from, we doubt if he’ll be effective as a legislator.”
Simpson last week acknowledged that he sought the endorsement of both groups. He said he is in favor of abortion rights, but answered Human Life’s questionnaire as he did because he is personally against abortion.
“This reversal reflects the fact that I am truly pro-choice,” Simpson said Tuesday.
NARAL endorsed Simpson’s opponent, union leader Mike Sells, primarily because Simpson was inarticulate in his interview with the group, NARAL Washington Executive Director Karen Cooper said.
Human Life is supporting Erv Hoglund, a Republican who is running unopposed in Tuesday’s primary. Hoglund, who has a long record of opposing legal abortion, scored 100 percent on the group’s questionnaire, Kennedy said.
Hoglund declined to discuss Simpson’s contradictory questionnaire answers.
“I know Dave personally, and I think he’s a nice man,” Hoglund said. “That’s the only comment I want to make.”
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