State Rep. Richard Holtorf backed some of the most restrictive abortion legislation in the country back in 2020, with Proposition 115 that would have outlawed abortion after 22 weeks gestation and made it a misdemeanor for doctors who violated the ban. It failed on a 40-60 vote. Earlier this year, Holtorf spoke on the floor of the Colorado Assembly about his girlfriend at the time who'd had an abortion. That was in 1986.
Anchor Kyle Clark asked him about this.
Source: Mediaite
Colorado congressional candidate and sitting State Rep. Richard Holtorf (R) received a tough grilling this week at the hands of local 9News anchor Kyle Clark over his apparent hypocrisy when it comes to abortion rights.
Holtorf made headlines back in January when he defended paying for his girlfriend’s abortion, despite being an adamant pro-life lawmaker and abortion critic. “Anti-abortion GOP lawmaker praises the impact of the abortion he paid for,” read the headline of a local report by Clark from the beginning of the year.
To his credit, Holtorf sat down with Clark to discuss the issue.
“If abortion was the best choice for your girlfriend, why try to deny that choice to other women?” Clark asked the lawmaker running in the crowded GOP primary for Colorado’s 4th congressional district.
After a long, meandering answer, Clark managed to get him back to the original question.
“Why do you seek to deny it to other women?” Clark pressed.
“Let me, let me — I don’t, I don’t,” Holtorf replied.
“You have voted to restrict abortion access,” Clark shot back.
“And I have. And I’m a pro-life person. I think you should try to choose life every time. But there are exceptions. And there are times when you need abortion. Abortion is a medical procedure,” declared Holtorf.
“Is one of the exceptions when Richard Holtorf is the father?” Clark demanded.
“No, it isn’t that. It’s not about me. Don’t personalize it, make it about me,” Holtorf replied.
Clark hit back, “You told the story on the house floor, sir.”
“Okay? That doesn’t matter. That’s a story. Okay? That’s not that important. What’s more important is the policy,” Holtorf replied.
The full 46-minute interview is available on YouTube, but here's the clip for Twitter.
