Arizona Gubernatorial Candidate: 14-Year-Olds Can Have an Abortion Without Parental Consent

Ky Sisson | October 16, 2014 7:00 PM

Attention parents in Arizona: Fred DuVal is totally okay with your child (14-years-old, for example) to have an abortion unbeknownst to you. Why? DuVal believes "reproductive freedom" should lie solely in the hands of your children, not you.

DuVal was being interviewed at a private event in a church where he shared his stance on abortions for minors:

Host: "Notarized parental consent? Parental notification?"
DuVal: "[sigh] Uh, consent, no. Because I believe that then gives the choice of reproductive freedom to the parents and not to the expectant mother and I believe the expectant mother has that…"
Host: "And she’s 14…"
DuVal: "Yeah."

Watch how nonchalant he is on the issue:

Arizonans are not happy about his remarks. Arizona Republican Party Chairman Robert Graham said in an email, "Fred DuVal is denying the role parents have in raising and loving their own children...DuVal is a candidate who has an incredible disregard for family life as we know it. Forget everyday political issues like taxes and budgets and tuition costs. Fred DuVal is the worst thing that could happen to families in Arizona."

"Mr. DuVal's position to remove parents from a decision of life and death is completely reckless," said Pastor Jose Gonzales of Harvest Bible Church in Phoenix, Arizona.

"Regardless of your position on abortion, we cannot possibly leave these types of decisions to developing minds. We are entering an age where parental involvement is increasingly important, but to even suggest that a minor, much less a 14 year-old, can intelligently comprehend the long-term impact of such an action is absurd," said Gonzalez in an email.

A 2011 Gallup poll found that 71 percent of Americans approve of "requiring women under 18 to get parental consent for any abortion."

With the election less than three weeks away, Republican Doug Ducey leads DuVal in the polls. The latest poll by CBS News has Ducey up 50-39 percent over Duval.