Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels said he would support an abortion ban that includes exceptions for rape and incest in a radio interview last Friday, a reversal from his previous stance against these abortion ban exceptions for most of his political career.
Michels explained his new stance on conservative commentator Dan O’Donnell’s radio news show Friday.
"Yes, I would sign that bill," Michels said about hypothetical legislation that banned abortion with exceptions for rape and incest.
However, in a June interview with WISN, Michels said Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban, which was reinstituted after Roe v. Wade was overturned, “is an exact mirror of [his] position.” This ban makes exceptions for the life of the mother but not rape or incest.
Michels also campaigned against rape and incest exceptions during his failed 2004 U.S. Senate campaign, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Michels’ new position is supported by State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester).
“[The Speaker] supports exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother,” Vos spokesperson Angela Joyce said in a statement to The Daily Cardinal on Tuesday.
Michels’ new position comes after a recent Marquette University Law School poll found 61% of Wisconsin voters oppose the Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe. The same poll indicated 83% of voters believe abortion should be allowed in cases of rape or incest.
Yet, Michels’ campaign tried to label his Democratic opponent Gov. Tony Evers as radical on abortion rights. In a recent statement, the Michels campaign labeled Evers as “extreme” and noted that Evers rejected Republican efforts to restrict abortion access.
In response, Evers' campaign used Michels’ attacks to mobilize his base, calling Michels' changed stance "dishonest."
“Last minute lies to save a flailing campaign aren’t going to fool Wisconsinites,” Evers spokesperson Kayla Anderson told the Cap Times last week.
Though Michels’ view on abortion has changed, his campaign repeatedly stated the new stance does not reflect a change in his personal views.
"I am pro-life and make no apologies for that. But I also understand that this is a representative democracy,” Michels explained to O’Donnell last Friday. “And if the people — in this case, the legislature — brought a bill before me, as you just stated, I would sign that."
