Denver City Wire

In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling earlier this year overturning Roe v. Wade, the abortion issue has been thrust into state campaigns across the nation, and Gov. Jared Polis is positioning himself as the pro-choice candidate. 

In April, Polis signed the Reproductive Health Equity Act into law, according to Colorado.gov. The website noted that the law ensures abortion is legal in the state and states that women in Colorado have the right to seek the procedure. It also prevents state and local entities from placing any restrictions on abortions, according to the website. 

“I’m focused on expanding opportunities so that every Coloradan can live the life they want – protecting the right to choose, the right to marry who we love and the choices on how we raise and educate our kids,” Polis said in a statement. 

Polis also called the decision to overturn Roe “alarming” and ensured that Colorado would be a safe place for women wishing to make their own decisions about reproductive health. 

"Because of my administration and Democratic leadership in the legislature, Coloradans don’t have to worry because our rights are still protected today despite the unfortunate reality that the U.S. Supreme Court just rolled those freedoms back for millions of Americans in other states," Polis said in the statement. "In Colorado, we will continue to choose freedom and we stand against government control over our bodies. State leadership matters now more than ever and in Colorado we will not retreat to an archaic era where the powerful few controlled the freedoms over our bodies and health decisions.”

Coloradans have varied opinions on the issue, according to a May Pew Research Center report, which found just 19% of respondents indicated that abortion should be legal in all cases with no exceptions, while 36% indicated that it should be legal in most cases. The report also found that 27% of the poll’s participants believed it should be illegal in most cases, with 8% believing it should be illegal in all cases with no exceptions. The poll did find just 2% who stated it should be illegal in all cases with some exceptions. 

Moreover, the Fuller Project put together a list of state laws on abortion after Roe v. Wade was overturned and found Colorado was just one of six states nationwide with no restrictions on abortion. The Fuller Project also noted that several states, including California and New York, limit abortions after 24 weeks. 

As the November general election approaches, the Brookings Institute found abortion will be a key issue for voters, and the Remington Research Group found in an August poll that Polis was leading Republican gubernatorial challenger Heidi Gandahl by seven points.