South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem indicated Friday during her reelection campaign's lone debate with her Democratic challenger, state lawmaker Jamie Smith, that if reelected she will uphold the state's abortion ban that provides no exceptions for rape or incest.
The Republican governor explained her position simply as “pro-life,” while pledging to push for expanded parental leave in the state and alleviate the toll of inflation on people's budgets. Smith called Noem's stance extreme and said it was endangering women's lives and causing concern among physicians for its lack of clarity on when an abortion is allowed — only to save the life of a pregnant woman.
