Joe Lombardo is trying to rewrite history (AGAIN) – this time, about his support for overturning Governor Sisolak’s executive order protecting in-state providers and out-of-state patients from punishment. Originally, he said “yes, absolutely” he would reverse it. Now, he claims he would “yes, absolutely” codify it into law.
Despite desperately trying to cover up his anti-abortion stances, Lombardo can’t hide the fact he’s backed by extreme groups. He’s been endorsed by Power2Parent, whose founder compared abortion to the Holocaust and supported the “gag rule” that defunded Planned Parenthood. Faith and Freedom Coalition, a dark money group spending money to boost Lombardo’s candidacy, supports fetal burial requirements, mandatory ultrasounds, and the Texas near-total abortion ban.
We know his conflicting stances can be confusing, so we thought this timeline could be helpful. We even broke it down by subtopic for peak clarity. Enjoy!
Stance on Nevada’s Abortion Protections
December 10, 2021: Joe Lombardo said the Dobbs decision would have “an effect on all of us” but that he’d tell Nevadans his position after the decision is released.
March 14, 2022: Lombardo says he’s pro-life and doesn’t support abortion except in cases of rape, incest, and the health of the mother, yet says he supports Nevada statute protecting the right to an abortion for up to 24 weeks.
May 14, 2022: Lombardo backtracks and says he supports a 13 week abortion ban.
June 24, 2022: After Roe v. Wade was overturned, Lombardo celebrated the decision.
August 4, 2022: Lombardo once again says he supports a 13 week ban.
August 11, 2022: When asked why his position changed from supporting Nevada’s existing abortion protections to supporting a 13 week ban, Lombardo awkwardly goes back to supporting Nevada’s current laws.
October 2, 2022: Lombardo admits he supported a 13 week ban but has changed his mind because he “thought about it more.”
Stance on Implementing Restrictions to Care:
May 26, 2022: Lombardo commits to considering any and all restrictive, anti-choice legislation–including mandatory waiting periods and a contraception ban.
June 24, 2022: Lombardo attempts to walk back his support for a contraception ban.
August 29, 2022: Lombardo’s campaign releases a video claiming he doesn’t support a contraception ban, citing quotes from local news outlets that were really just from his campaign spokesperson.
August 31, 2022: Lombardo rewrote his website, lying about his support for a contraception ban.
September 7, 2022: New reporting reveals Lombardo has been supporting anti-abortion groups in his capacity as sheriff, donating LVMPD helicopter rides to a silent auction benefitting a crisis pregnancy center (CPC) and including a CPC in a Metro pamphlet of community resources that lists no abortion clinics.
September 27, 2022: Lombardo’s campaign adds a letter to their website, lying about all of his stances and claiming he doesn’t oppose contraceptives.
October 2, 2022: At the gubernatorial debate, Lombardo says he won’t “nip away” at abortion access as governor, then promptly supports implementing mandatory waiting periods. His team – you guessed it! – walked it back after the debate.
Stance on Governor Sisolak’s Executive Order:
June 28, 2022: Governor Sisolak signs an executive order protecting abortion providers and out of state patients from being punished by other states. When asked if he’d repeal it, Lombardo dodged the question.
August 11, 2022: Lombardo says he’d repeal Governor Sisolak’s executive order.
August 17, 2022: He changes his tune, saying he’d have to “evaluate it.”
September 27, 2022: Lombardo’s campaign adds a letter to their website, claiming he made a commitment not to repeal the governor’s executive order.
September 28, 2022: New reporting shows Lombardo previously told a voter he’d repeal the EO “right away” and that he had called the EO “political theater” just two weeks before.
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