Giving Voters a Choice
Jo Ann Roth, Barton County Chair, ran for State Representative, 113th District, in the 2022 General Election. Her political yard signs included the slogan: "Voters Deserve a Choice!" This Legislative District had no Democratic Nominee in 2020, the election before that the Democratic Candidate received 18% of the general election vote. There was a slight increase, in that Jo Ann tallied 24% in the 2022 General Election. Re-apportionment changed the boundaries of the district making it even more rural. Our conclusion was that giving the voters another name printed on the ballot to choose from was too little.
Jo Ann and Kent Roth, Barton County.
Jo Ann had spoken at two (2) rallies on the Barton County Courthouse Square in opposition of the Value Them Both Constitutional Amendment which appeared on the August 2022 primary ballot. Videos of her presentations were posted on her campaign social media site. We thought voters would know the campaign slogan of "Voters Deserve a Choice!" declared the Candidate to be Pro-Choice. Yet many of the NO votes in August of 2022, did not show up to vote for Jo Ann in November.
When it came time to file to run for the same office in the 2024 Election we decided to put reproductive freedom front and center. We would run a message campaign. We concluded the best reason for voters to do something different, Vote Blue, was to fully put on display the Incumbent's extreme views on abortion.
Dr Betsy Wickstrom, an Emergency OBGYN, posted a video on social media critical of the Incumbent sending out an email suggesting woman experiencing a miscarriage should be required to undergo a C-Section delivery so the baby might die peacefully in the mother's arms. We viewed the video as our expert witness to use against this anti-abortion Incumbent, and began promoting the sharing of this video on Facebook. The Video was shared over 2,000 times prior to the November election.
The Incumbent's response was to mention Tim Tebow. The Professional Football Player whose Mother when a Missionary in the Philippines was treated with strong antibiotics before doctors discovered she was pregnant. Those drugs resulted in severe placental abruption, in which the placenta detaches from the uterine wall. That condition can deprive the fetus of oxygen and other necessary elements. As a result, the Doctors recommend an abortion, however, instead Pam Tebow began bed rest during the seventh month delivering a malnourished baby who recovered and became the Heisman Trophy Winning Quarterback we all know. In effect, based on the outcome in what most view as a Miracle Baby case, the Incumbent was fine with imposing this same decision on every woman by force of law.
Would the Voters break with tradition and vote for a Pro-Choice Democrat? Apparently not, as once again in the 2024 general election Jo Ann Roth share of the vote remained at the same 24% she had received in 2022. A surprising number of voters we encountered repeated the words of Donald Trump that some abortion laws are “too tough” and would be “redone.” Time will tell.
As for Jo Ann and I, we agreed to serve another term as Barton County Democratic Central Committee Chair and Vice-Chair. As members of the loyal opposition, we shall work towards a more perfect Union based on inclusion, rather than division. We continue to support free and fair elections which give Voters a Choice.
Article by Kent Roth, Barton Co Vice-Chair