Oregon House Democrats pull abortion ad, say it 'was not factually supported'

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Oregon House Democrats retracted a Facebook ad that incorrectly described the abortion views of Republican Juanita Lint, who is challenging incumbent Democrat Susan McLain for her House District 29 seat. Lint said she has not spoken at all about abortion during this campaign. (Courtesy/Juanita Lint)

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Oregon House Democrats' campaign arm retracted an abortion-related Facebook ad Wednesday after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from the House Republican candidate it targeted.

The excised ad claimed that Juanita Lint, a Republican candidate for House District 29, "supports punishing women who have an abortion - even in cases of rape or incest."

Lint is running against incumbent Democrat Susan McLain for the seat, which includes west Hillsboro, Cornelius and Forest Grove.

Future PAC, the House Democratic campaign wing, wrote in a Facebook post, "On October 17, 2016, that ad was removed from the site. The statement in the ad was not factually supported and we regret the publication."

Lint said she was satisfied with the retraction, adding, "I've never once talked about this issue in any forum or town hall I've attended. Where on earth would they get that?"

Asked about her position on abortion, Lint said, "I'm a women's right to life candidate." Asked if she opposes legal exceptions for rape and incest - as the pulled ad stated - she said, "I'm not going down that road. Those aren't issues we'll have to deal with at the state legislative level."

Republicans jumped on the retraction, calling the original post false and misleading.

"Future PAC is so desperate to try and distract voters with rhetoric about Donald Trump (that) last week they started lying about Republican candidates," according to a statement issued Wednesday by Promote Oregon Leadership PAC, the campaign arm of Oregon House Republicans. "Several of our candidates subsequently issued cease and desist letters demanding Future PAC pull the ads."

Republicans didn't cite any other examples of allegedly misleading ads by Democrats, but added, "It is clear from their statement in retraction that their original statement was entirely invented solely to serve a political purpose, which is incredibly disturbing."

McLain's campaign said the original ad was posted by Future PAC and not by the campaign itself.

"I had no knowledge of this ad and our campaign was not involved," McLain said in a statement. "What I'm focused on is talking to Washington County voters and working to make sure Oregon is investing inits public schools, fighting for the middle class, and protecting Oregon's environment."

In a separate statement, Future PAC said, "We took the post down because it was incorrect, but what it should have said is that Republican candidate Juanita Lint has said she would support Donald Trump, despite his divisive rhetoric and idea to punish women who have an abortion."

It added, "Lint is supportive of the extreme and dangerous idea of restricting a woman's right to a safe, legal abortion, which is out-of-step with the Washington County voters she's hoping to represent."

-- Dana Tims

503-294-7647; @DanaTims

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