A Republican running against Lauren Boebert for the US House was caught in an awkward moment when grilled about paying for a girlfriend’s abortion decades ago.
Richard Holtorf, a member of the Colorado state House of Representatives running in the Republican primary for the House, revealed earlier this year that he had financed an abortion a girlfriend asked him to pay for when she became pregnant in his early 20s and Holtorf was a college student.
The tense exchange occurred during an interview with News 9 anchor Thursday evening.
“If abortion was the best choice for your girlfriend, why try to deny that choice to other women?” anchor Kyle Clark asked.
The Republican candidate deflected, asking Clark if he had listened to the remarks he had made in January initially describing the situation. Clark countered that Holtorf’s logic in the speech was “scattered” and repeated his question.
The candidate would not explain why he had voted to take what he himself described as a “right” away from women, who like his girlfriend, may decide it is their best option.
“I dont [seek to deny that right],” Holtorf claimed.
Clark shot back: “You have voted to restrict abortion access with legislation.”
“I have,” Holtorf responded. He added he believes women should choose life at every opportunity, but that there should be “exceptions” to restrictions on the practice.
“Is one of the exceptions when Richard Holtorf is the father?” asked Clark.
“No! It’s not about me!” Holtorf responded. “Don’t personalize it and make it about me.”
NEW: CO-4 GOP candidate Richard Holtorf has voted against abortion rights in the state legislature but said he respected his girlfriend's right to have an abortion "so she could live her best life." I asked him about that disconnect. #copolitics pic.twitter.com/WBB5YBmAcJ
— Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) June 13, 2024
Holtorf initially made the revelation of having funded the procedure for his girlfriend during a speech on the state House floor in January.
Speaking about his then-girlfriend, he told his colleagues: “I respected her rights and actually gave her money to help her through her important, critical time so she could live her best life.” He made those remarks while the chamber voted on a resolution led by Democrats to commemorate the original Supreme Court decision in Roe vs Wade, which established federal protections for abortion rights.
Holtorf also revealed in his efforts to explain his remarks that a second girlfriend who became pregnant chose to give up their child for adoption. After facing questions from both supporters and journalists in the state, Holtorf gave a lengthier explanation on Facebook, writing that it was “the saddest moment of my life” but that he chose to respect “a girlfriend’s decision against life, in my early 20s while attending college”,
The Colorado legislator is one of the leading Republican candidates in the upcoming June 25 primary to determine who will be the party’s nominee to succeed Rep Ken Buck, who resigned in March. Boebert, herself followed by scandal, is choosing to run for the seat rather than seek re-election in a more competitive district across the state which she has represented since 2021.
