Pignatelli receives NARAL endorsement

NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts has endorsed Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli (D-Lenox) in his re-election campaign for Massachusetts’ 4th Berkshire State House of Representatives District.

“NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts has a policy of endorsing our long time pro-choice allies,” said NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts Executive Director Megan Amundson. “Smitty Pignatelli is one of those allies. He has a 100-percent pro-choice voting record in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.”

“I’ve been pro-choice my entire political career,” said Rep. Pignatelli when asked his thoughts on receiving NARAL’s endorsement. “As the father of a young girl and a brother of three sisters I think this is something…we need to protect going forward.”

He is running against a fellow pro-choice candidate, Green-Rainbow Party candidate Lee “Scott” Laugenour of Lenox. However, because Rep. Pignatelli is an incumbent with a pro-choice record, NARAL Massachusetts endorsed him automatically.

This automatic endorsement process applies to all pro-choice incumbents in Massachusetts, regardless of party affiliation. For instance, pro-choice Massachusetts House of Representatives Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) was automatically endorsed by NARAL this year, while mixed-choice Democratic Speaker of the House Robert A. DeLeo (D-Winthrop) is not, and has never been, NARAL-endorsed.

“In terms of candidates, we look for candidates who are pro-choice regardless of party affiliation,” said Dir. Amundson.

“I am very much pro-choice,” said Mr. Laugenour in comments to The Beacon, pointing to the contents of the questionnaire he filled out for Massachusetts Citizens for Life, which he has posted to his website.

He also expressed dissatisfaction with NARAL’s endorsement process.

“I’m very disappointed that NARAL just gives a coast to incumbents,” said Mr. Laugenour. “There are different levels of advocacy.”

Although this issue won’t come into play in the 4th Berkshire District Race, given both candidates pro-choice positions, Massachusetts does not have a firmly pro-choice legislature.

Indeed, after the 2010 election, NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts counted just 79 pro-choice members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, barely a majority; a number that is now down to 78. The Massachusetts State Senate also has only a small pro-choice majority.  NARAL Massachusetts hopes that the 2012 election will result in strong pro-choice majorities in both houses of the Massachusetts legislature.

NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts is the state affiliate of NARAL Pro-Choice America, one of the nation’s leading reproductive rights advocacy organizations.

Posted by Bera B. Dunau on October 11, 2012. Filed under Community News,News,State News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry