_{^{Incumbent Bruce White (left) and Cassie Julia, who is challenging White in the June 11 primary to represent Maine House District 65. (Maine Legislature photo; Courtesy of Cassie Julia)}}

Waterville lawmaker one of the last Democrats in Maine Legislature to regularly vote against abortion rights

_{Reposted from Maine Morning Star}

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One of the last Democrats in the Maine Legislature to regularly take votes against pro-abortion bills is facing a challenger backed by a major reproductive health advocacy group, with the upcoming primary centering on the schism between the two candidates on that issue.   

Democratic Rep. Bruce White has served in the Maine Legislature since 2018, winning handily each time in his blue-leaning Waterville district. But now he is facing a challenge in House District 65 from Cassie Julia, a local community advocate who serves on the Waterville Planning Board. The primary between the two Democrats will take place June 11. 

The issue of abortion and reproductive health policy has dominated the contest, as Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund PAC announced in April that it was endorsing Julia against the incumbent White — a notable move for a group that typically doesn’t wade into Democratic primaries. 

In its endorsement of Julia, the group cited White’s votes against bills to protect abortion and said at a moment when reproductive health access is under attack around the country, it is imperative that lawmakers in Maine stand up for such rights. 

The organization gave White an 11% for his 2023 reproductive rights voting record, docking him for votes against a bill to expand access to abortion later in pregnancy and a measure to strengthen protections for health providers who perform abortions. 

Planned Parenthood also criticized White’s vote in favor of a bill to create a waiting period for abortion services. Of the nine bills included in the organization’s scorecard, White only voted for one: a measure to prohibit municipalities from enacting ordinances restricting access to abortion. 

Those stances are part of a trend, as White also opposed a bill in 2019 to require coverage for abortion services and has supported multiple measures that attempted to rescind the mandate that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services provide abortion coverage for MaineCare recipients.   

During the 2024 session, White cast a vote against a proposal that would have asked voters on the November ballot whether reproductive autonomy should be enshrined in the Maine Constitution. The measure ultimately failed to garner the two-thirds support needed in the Legislature to move forward. 

White also voted against a bill this year that was the subject of heated — and often unsupported rhetoric — by opponents to protect Maine health professionals who provide reproductive and gender-affirming care from being targeted by other states’ restrictions on such treatments. That measure, known as a shield law, was ultimately signed into law. 

White’s stances are at odds with the vast majority of Democrats in the Maine Legislature, who like members of the party at the national level have largely coalesced around protecting abortion rights, particularly since Roe v. Wade was overturned. In addition, two-thirds of Mainers surveyed last year indicated support for expanding abortion rights later in pregnancy. 

In an interview, Lisa Margulies of Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund and PAC argued that White is out of step with his constituents. 

“We can’t trust Bruce White with our reproductive rights,” she said. “We know that Mainers value reproductive autonomy and access to care and Bruce White has proven time and time again that he does not. So it’s time the people of Waterville have an elected leader who will fight for their rights and not vote to take them away.”

Margulies added that the margins on some abortion bills have been slim in the Maine House in particular, meaning that every vote matters. She also noted that Planned Parenthood Action Fund has a rigorous endorsement process and is confident that Julia would take a different approach on abortion issues than White. 

As of May 17, the group’s PAC had spent nearly $4,500 in support of Julia and $1,853 in direct opposition to White.

In an email response, White pushed back against the primary challenge. 

“If the party wants to stay relevant, we need to have a place for opposing viewpoints on every issue and be representative of all the people,” he said. 

“The Democratic Party must remain free from the control of special interest groups,” White added.  

The House District 65 incumbent also noted that he has received positive marks from labor groups such as the Maine AFL-CIO and Maine Education Association and from environmental organizations such as Maine Conservation Voters and that his record on other issues should be factored into the primary campaign. 

On abortion, White didn’t specifically answer a question about whether he opposes the procedure in all cases but said he wants to be “a voice for the voiceless” and that he doesn’t take the issue lightly. 

He also addressed several of his votes over the years, saying opposition from the Maine Sheriffs Association informed his stance against the shield bill that passed earlier this year. And he argued that the bill to allow abortion later in pregnancy, which passed last year and was opposed by several other Democrats, was too vaguely written.

‘It’s important to take action’

In an interview, Julia said White’s record and her support for reproductive health rights motivated her to run this year.

She noted that she’s been involved in local politics for a while — volunteering for Gov. Janet Mills’ campaign and several Democrats running for the Legislature, serving on the Waterville Planning Board, and founding a community advocacy group to protect the city’s school budget. 

Julia said she was planning to run for the Legislature in a couple of years but decided instead to seek office this cycle after a conversation with her daughter. This is the first election Julia’s daughter can vote in, and when her daughter saw White’s record on reproductive health care, Julia said she was shocked and balked at the idea of voting for him. 

“The more I explored and became more familiar with his voting habits, the more motivated I was to run,” Julia said. 

If she were in the House, Julia said she would have supported the abortion bills White opposed. 

“A lot of people really care about this issue and it’s the reason that motivated me to take action,” Julia said. “It’s important to take action when something you care about is in jeopardy.”  

Along with his votes, Margulies also criticized some of White’s rhetoric on the issue of abortion. 

In a speech against the bill the Legislature approved last year to expand abortion access later in pregnancy, White said he was standing to defend human rights, including the rights of preborn children, and that he was basing his defense on science and reason. He said he believes science shows life begins at fertilization. However, Margulies noted that medical experts — including the American Medical Association and American Medical Women’s Association — firmly support abortion rights as necessary health care. 

While abortion politics have been front and center in the race, Julia has also touched on other issues as well. (In his email, White did not elaborate on what his priorities would be if reelected). 

Julia said ensuring schools are adequately funded is crucial. She added that she wants to see the state get creative with funding so that municipalities aren’t relying so heavily on property taxes to bankroll education. In addition, Julia named affordable housing, addressing mental health and substance use issues, and ensuring there are enough professionals such as doctors as other issues she wants to tackle.

Early voting has opened for the House District 65 race and the rest of the state’s June 11 primaries. You can find your polling place here.  

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_{Evan Popp studied journalism at Ithaca College. He joins Maine Morning Star following three years at Maine Beacon writing about statewide politics. Before that, he worked for the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper and interned at the Progressive magazine, ThinkProgress and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.}