Just six days before the general election, an audio recording has surfaced in which 1st District Congressional Candidate John Koster reportedly says abortion should not be legal, even in cases involving "the rape thing."
An AP story published by several news outlets reports Koster, a Republican from Arlington, was speaking at a fundraiser on Sunday when he stated that he believes abortion ought to be an option when the mother's life is in danger. But the Snohomish County Council member went on to say he would oppose abortion in cases of rape or incest, according to the AP:
Koster twice uses the phrase "the rape thing" in the recording, saying it doesn't make the situation better by "putting more violence into a woman's body."
Koster spokesman Larry Stickney says Koster is not cavalier about the issue and supports tough punishments for sex offenders.
The audio recording was provided to the AP by a liberal advocacy group.
Koster's campaign website reflects the views the candidate stated at the fundraiser, indicating he has a "100% pro-life voting record," and that the exception he makes to his views are in cases when the mother's life is in danger.
Koster's opponent, Democrat Suzan DelBene of Medina, says on her campaign website that she supports abortion rights: "The recent assault on women’s health care is unacceptable and I will fight against any attempt to reduce access to birth control or reproductive health services."
The latest poll from KING 5 shows DelBene leading Koster by just 3 percentage points, which is within the survey's margin of error.
What do you think of the candidates' views on abortion? Is it an important issue in this race? Tell us in the comments section.
