Democratic nominee for Governor Joe Cunningham released a new digital ad on Thursday. The ad, titled “Fran's Story,” shares the harrowing story of Fran Coyle, a retired teacher who was brutally sexually assaulted in 1972 at the age of 12. As a result of the assault, she became pregnant and had to have an abortion just weeks after the Roe v. Wade decision.
“Roe vs. Wade gave me the opportunity to become an educator, a mother, and a grandmother,” Coyle says in the ad. “I did what was best for an 88-pound, 12-year-old with no other options. My body is not yours and it's not the state's–it's mine.”
Cunningham highlighted the dangerous and cruel impacts these bans would have on South Carolina women and criticized Gov. Henry McMaster for having the most extreme anti-choice position in the country.
“This election hinges on freedom and one of the most core freedoms that every American should have is the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies,” Cunningham said. “Here in South Carolina, Henry McMaster is set on taking away that freedom by ramming through an abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest, or life of the mother. I'm grateful for Fran and her courage in sharing her story. Victims of trauma do not owe anyone their story, but stories like Fran's remind us of the cruel, dangerous impact that abortion bans will have on women and girls in South Carolina. I will always stand with victims of sexual assault and protect the core freedoms of every South Carolinian.”
The ad will begin running digitally today and can be seen below.
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