GOP Candidate Says Abortion Decisions Belong to 'Gentlemen' Legislators

A Republican nominee for the Senate sparked a furious backlash on social media after saying that he thinks decisions on abortion rights belong to "gentlemen" state legislators.

Don Bolduc, a retired U.S. Army general running against Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan in New Hampshire, made the comments when speaking about whether abortion issues should be decided at the state or federal level during a town hall in Auburn, New Hampshire, on Wednesday night.

"It belongs to the state. It belongs to these gentlemen right here, who are state legislators representing you," Bolduc said.

Bolduc motioned to Jason Osborne and Jess Edwards, two Republican state representatives who were in the room, according to HuffPost.

Bolduc then said that "as a man," he believes women "get the best voice" on their reproductive rights when state representatives are making the decisions.

"That is the best way, I think, as a man, that women get the best voice," he said. "At the state level, not at the federal level."

He added that Hassan, a Democrat who is leading in the polls, "doesn't understand this."

"She needs to get on board with the Supreme Court decision" that overturned Roe v. Wade, he said. The court's decision in late June stripped away constitutional protections for abortion and has led to abortion bans in several states.

Abortion is allowed until 24 weeks of pregnancy in New Hampshire, later for the health or life of the patient or if the fetus has been diagnosed with "abnormalities incompatible with life."

Republican lawmakers are divided on whether New Hampshire should further restrict abortions.

"Let's be crystal clear: politicians have absolutely no place making intimate, personal reproductive health decisions for women," Sydney Petersen, a spokesperson for Hassan's campaign, said in a statement to Newsweek.

"This is not something Granite State women will 'get on board with,' and we're not 'getting over it.' Don Bolduc's anti-woman agenda has no place in New Hampshire, where we value women as full and equal citizens in our democracy."

Kate Constantini, a spokeswoman for Bolduc's campaign, told Newsweek: "Senator Hassan shamelessly continues to lie about General Bolduc's position, trying to scare voters and distract from her abysmal record. The General opposes a federal ban on abortion and believes this decision should be in the hands of the states. Senator Hassan needs to end the lies and face the fact that she can no longer hide behind her deceit."

An audio recording of Bolduc's remarks went viral after it was shared on Twitter over the weekend, amassing more than 500,000 views.

"This will blow your mind," Mike Sington, an executive at NBCUniversal, wrote in a tweet alongside the audio clip.

Political analyst Sarah Reese Jones tweeted: "They're finally admitting it: Republicans don't think women should have any control over their bodies."

"This is effed up on so many levels I don't know where to begin," added Janice Park, a Democratic candidate for Alaska's state Senate. "The idea that a bunch of old men know what's best for a woman's life AND HER BODY is absolutely repulsive."

"Don Bolduc doesn't trust women," wrote New Hampshire Sen. Cindy Rosenwald.

"Bolduc says the quiet part out loud," tweeted Joe Conason, the editor-in-chief of The National Memo. "Later he'll say the opposite—and hope New Hampshire voters aren't bright enough to notice."

Jen McGowan, a director, added: "It's always been about power over women. Remember, remember kick em out in #Roevember."

"Hey @ChrisSununu, still think Bolduc is an example of an 'amazing guy'?" tweeted Tom Sherman, a Democrat running for governor in New Hampshire.

"Government has no place getting between a woman and her doctor."

Update 10/10/22, 10 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with a statement from Sydney Petersen.

Update 10/11/22, 3 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with a statement from Kate Constantini.