Susan Hutchison—the King County Executive candidate who refuses to admit she's a Republican—has now refused to fill out a NARAL questionnaire about her stance on abortion and women's reproductive rights in general, instead issuing this nice bit of evasion:

In lieu of the NARAL questionnaire, I provide this statement which I have provided as well to those who represent themselves as Pro-Life.

The issues surrounding abortion are not relevant to the King County executive race. This is the most divisive issue in America today, with strongly held opinions on both sides. I am not in this race to divide, but to bring people together to solve the complex problems of our county regarding the economy, jobs, transportation, budget deficits, land use, sewage, public safety and growth.

That said, I will uphold the laws of the land.

She appears to have no understanding of the role the county plays in providing health care to women.

Why am I not feeling brought together with people?

More from NARAL after the jump.

Susan Hutchison Dodges Questions about the Right to Choose, Ignores County’s Role in Providing Women’s Health Care
NARAL Pro-Choice Washington to Mobilize in Opposition to King County Executive Candidate

King County Executive candidate Susan Hutchison has so far dodged questions on many policy issues, including her stance on a woman’s right to choose and access to reproductive health care. Nevertheless, her own statements dismissing the important role that King County plays in providing family planning care are cause for alarm for the county’s women and girls.

“Susan Hutchison has made clear that she has no intention of talking about many of the issues that the voters of King County care about, including women’s access to family planning care,” said Lauren B. Simonds, M.S.W., executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington. “Hutchison has told us she will not complete our candidate questionnaire, and instead asserts that her position on the right to choose has no bearing on the women of King County.”

Instead of a questionnaire, Hutchison submitted the following statement, in an email from her campaign manager:

"In lieu of the NARAL questionnaire, I provide this statement which I have provided as well to those who represent themselves as Pro-Life.

The issues surrounding abortion are not relevant to the King County executive race. This is the most divisive issue in America today, with strongly held opinions on both sides. I am not in this race to divide, but to bring people together to solve the complex problems of our county regarding the economy, jobs, transportation, budget deficits, land use, sewage, public safety and growth.

That said, I will uphold the laws of the land.”

When questioned about this statement on KUOW’s “The Conversation” (June 17, 2009), Hutchison reiterated her misguided notion that the county has no impact on women’s health.

“This statement raises a number of red flags,” said Simonds. “First and foremost, Hutchison is woefully uniformed about the many critical roles the county plays in administering reproductive health care, particularly to low-income and otherwise marginalized women, and in protecting women’s access to the full range of family planning care.”

“If this is the attitude an Executive Hutchison would take toward women’s health, that would spell disaster not only for the tens of thousands of women who use county services, but also for the county’s bottom line,” added Simonds. “When the county, or any public entity, spends money on birth control and other family planning care, it saves more than four times what it spends on pregnancy care, delayed screening and treatment of STDs, and other preventable costs over the long term.”

With Hutchison dominating early polls in the race for King County Executive, due to her name familiarity from many years as a KIRO broadcaster, it is likely that she will make it through the primary. At which point, NARAL Pro-Choice Washington will be poised to mobilize members and activists in opposition to her candidacy.

While the King County Executive race is non-partisan, Hutchison’s donations to conservative, anti-choice Republicans, including George W. Bush, Mike Huckabee, Dino Rossi, and Rep. Dave Reichert (R-8), clearly illustrate her political leanings.

“Beyond the danger her views pose for women’s health, Susan Hutchison is a conservative whose beliefs are far to the right of the voters of King County,” said Simonds. “Hutchison knows this just as well as we do, which is why she refuses to talk about the right to choose.” King County overwhelmingly voted pro-choice in 2008, with 70% voting for Barack Obama and 64% for Governor Gregoire.

“It is our job to make sure the electorate knows the full story about Hutchison,” Simonds added. “The worst case scenario would be for Hutchison to win this race, only to give her a platform from which to seek an ever higher office.”

NARAL Pro-Choice Washington is laying the groundwork now for a massive grassroots and public education campaign against Susan Hutchison’s candidacy.

King County and Women’s Health:

Funding for family planning care: King County operates 9 family planning service centers that provide contraception; STD testing; breast and cervical cancer screenings; pregnancy, adoption and abortion counseling; and maternity and prenatal care for the county’s most marginalized women and teens: the poor, uninsured, communities of color, and non-English speaking.
This program provides 36,000 visits a year to over 19,000 individuals (King County website).
King County has recognized that public spending on family planning care is cost effective, and has prioritized family planning as a means to promote the health and socioeconomic advancement of women and their families.

Support for school-based health centers: Through a partnership with the City of Seattle and other entities, King County runs 14 school-based and school-linked health centers, which are comprehensive primary care clinics for young people at or nearby their schools. (King County website).

Comprehensive sexual health education curriculum: King County family planning health educators provide training and resources for teachers on a wide range of sexual health topics, including sexuality, family planning and birth control. The county also provides the comprehensive F.L.A.S.H. curriculum to schools free of charge.

Leadership on access to local clinics: With the rise in violent anti-choice extremism at women’s health care clinics, it is critical that law enforcement at all levels work to keep women and doctors safe. The King County Executive can take a leadership role together with the Sheriff’s Office to make sure our laws are enforced to help ensure clinic safety.

NARAL Pro-Choice Washington is the leading grassroots pro-choice advocacy organization in Washington state. NARAL Pro-Choice Washington works to protect every woman’s right to access the full range of reproductive health options, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. NARAL Pro-Choice Washington is the state affiliate of NARAL Pro-Choice America.