“Until we expand pro-abortion-rights majorities in the House and Senate, Defend Freedom’s state-by-state approach is the strategic solution we need to turn out our voters and restore, protect and expand abortion rights across the country.”
Cecile Richards
Former President
Planned Parenthood
We Are Defend Freedom
When the Supreme Court outlawed federal abortion rights, it deprived millions of Americans of their reproductive freedom, and left our rights in the hands of the states.
Many states have already put lives at risk, through legislative action pushed by the aggressive anti-abortion minority. Since the Dobbs decision, 27 states have restricted or outlawed abortion, through legislative action pushed by the aggressive anti-abortion minority. In states that have ballot initiatives, voters can protect, restore and defend abortion rights at the ballot box. Six states had reproductive rights measures on the ballot in 2022 and in every case, the pro-reproductive rights side prevailed.
Lace up your gloves and join us.
Our Mission
Defend Freedom will identify opportunities in 2023 and 2024 to advance reproductive freedom and abortion rights through state ballot measures.
We will run powerful media campaigns to reach voters in states where access to abortion health care is at risk, and politicians are out of touch with the majority of voters who believe abortion should be legal and accessible.
A State-By-State Effort
Defend Freedom is the only national organization solely focused on state ballot measures to protect reproductive rights.
We will harness decades of experience on dozens of campaigns to research, identify, and invest in states where abortion rights are restricted or threatened and a ballot measure could be successful.
Our priorities:
- Enhance local campaigns with data-driven paid media, digital and direct mail efforts, with a focus on turning out younger voters and voters of color.
- Provide campaigns with strategic counsel and research.
- Offer message guidance on ballot language.
The Will of the People
Voters Overwhelmingly Believe Abortion Should Be up to the Woman and Her Doctor.
Source: Navigator Poll, August 2022
2022 Ballot Measure Election Results: Percent Supporting Abortion Rights
Source: Navigator Poll, August 2022
Path to Victory: A coalition of Democratic, Independent and Republican voters, fueled by high turnout of Gen-Z and Millennial voters, supported abortion rights in ballot measures across the nation to uphold abortion access at the state level.
Michigan Case Study: The Power of the Gen Z Vote
The Michigan ballot measure gave us proof that our strategy of targeting young women paid off: election results demonstrate they were highly motivated to vote by the issue of abortion.
- Black women (18-25) in 2018 vote count was 8,373. In 2022, the vote count was 17,624 — an increase of +110%!!
- White women (18-25) in 2018 vote count was 48,846. In 2022, the vote count was 114,009 — an increase of +133%!!
Kansas: Winning in a Red State
The Kansas Proof-of-Concept:
- Even in a red state, 59% of Kansans voted to protect reproductive freedom on the August ‘22 Constitutional Amendment.
- Women were 56% of voters, an unprecedented 12% gender gap.
- Voter registration surged, particularly among women 18 – 25 years old.
Honorary Co-Chair Barbara Boxer
Former U.S. Senator
Former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is our Honorary Co-Chair and our Fighter-in-Chief. In her four decades in the House and Senate, she was a leading voice for access to abortion, repeatedly introducing and cosponsoring bills to codify Roe and boldly fighting anti-choice bills.
Management Team
Rose Kapolczynski managed Boxer’s four US Senate races. Now a campaign consultant, she has extensive experience leading strategy and message development, including abortion ballot measures.
Karen Olick was Boxer’s Chief of Staff in Washington, DC for more than a decade. At SKDK, she has been a top strategist for Democratic candidates and ballot measures across the country.
Tamia Booker is a veteran political strategist who has held senior positions in the US Senate, several presidential campaigns, and served in the Obama administration. Tamia is a Senior Vice President with Mosaic Communications.
Julie Norton is Founding Partner of Mosaic Communications and has spent decades as a strategist and media consultant for major ballot measures and candidates across the United States.
Advisory Committee
April Henry is Managing Partner of Hawkeye Digital, a strategic consulting firm and has worked in corporate development, strategy and finance for decades. April worked for Senator Boxer in the House and Senate.
Julie Wong served as Communications Director for Boxer and other elected officials and is now a television writer.
Yvette Martinez was a Senior Advisor to Boxer and is an expert at building coalitions and is currently serving as Executive Director of the California Democratic Party.
Our Expertise
A full-service campaign consulting firm, SKDK offers decades of experience winning tough ballot measures by producing powerful and strategic advertising on TV, digital platforms and in the mail.
Mosaic is an LGBTQ- and Black woman-led, majority-Black media consulting firm that embraces equity and inclusion to better reflect today’s Democratic Party. Mosaic’s team has been in the Democratic trenches winning tough campaigns for decades.