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CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The race for Wyoming's seat in the U.S. House race heated up as two Republican candidates, Liz Cheney and state Sen. Leland Christensen, tussled Friday over a failed effort in the state Legislature several years ago to get women to reconsider having abortions.
The 2011 bill would have required doctors to tell pregnant women planning an abortion they had the right to see an ultrasound and hear the fetus' heartbeat. Christensen cast the deciding vote that defeated the measure 15-14.
An anti-abortion group, the Susan B. Anthony List, highlighted the vote Thursday in endorsing opponent Liz Cheney. Cheney, a former State Department official and Fox News commentator who's the elder daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, mentioned the group's concern about Christensen's vote in a news release.
"I believe deeply in pro-life values, and as the mother of five terrific kids, I live these values every day," Cheney said.
Christensen responded in a news release that he is against abortion but saw the bill as government intrusion in the doctor-patient relationship. The bill could have allowed cameras in the examination room, he said.
"It's pretty easy to cast stones when you have never cast a single vote and weren't even in the state for decades," Christensen said in the release. "A big part of having experience serving in an elected office - both at the local and state level - is knowing what questions to ask, what to look for in legislation and how to ask the right questions."
He compared the bill to the Affordable Care Act, which he said interfered in doctor-patient relationships by mandating health care.
"You simply can't have it both ways. Either you are against government interfering in the doctor-patient relationship or you are not. And Liz Cheney needs to answer that question," he said.
Asked about that statement Friday, Cheney campaign manager Bill Novotny didn't answer on the government's role in health care but kept focused on Christensen.
"No amount of false negative attacks will obscure Leland Christensen's liberal pro-choice votes, or the fact that Planned Parenthood singled out him out in their newsletter for partnering with Democrats to cast the deciding vote against a pro-life bill," Novotny said by email.
Nine Republicans are running for their party's nomination Aug. 16 to replace Republican Rep. Cynthia Lummis, who's not seeking a fifth term.
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