Country’s leading pro-choice organization endorses Indian-American for Congress

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The Indian-American candidate running for the U.S. Congress from District 6 in Arizona was endorsed Dec. 9, by NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Considered the nation’s leading pro-choice advocacy group, NARAL Pro-Choice America announced its support for Dr. Hiral Tipirneni, for the seat currently held by Republican incumbent David Schweikert.

“NARAL is proud to endorse Dr. Hiral Tipirneni and we look forward to sending another strong voice for women and families to Congress,” Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, is quoted saying in a press release from the organization. “As someone who has dedicated her career to serving her patients, Dr. Tipirneni deeply understands that everyone should be able to make their own decisions, free from political interference. Dr. Tipirneni is the representative Arizonians need to stand firm against anti-choice extremists,” Hogue added.

“I am humbled to have once again earned the endorsement of NARAL. As a former emergency room physician, I have seen firsthand how important it is for women to have access to quality, affordable healthcare,” said Dr. Tipirneni. “I’m honored to stand alongside NARAL in ensuring that every woman has autonomy over her own body and has access to quality, affordable, reproductive healthcare.”

Dr. Tipirneni is an emergency room physician, cancer research advocate, and member of the Board of Directors of the Maricopa Health Foundation. She is seeking to flip the seat currently held by Schweikert, who has consistently earned a 0% score from NARAL in the Congressional Record on Choice. NARAL also endorsed Dr. Tipirneni in her 2018 bid for Congress. Schweikert is unopposed in the Republican primary Aug. 4, 2020.

The Democratic primary for Arizona 6 is Aug. 4, 2020, late in the election cycle. Tipirneni will have to defeat three other Democrats if she is to confront Shweikert on Nov. 3, 2020. They are Karl Gentles, another Indian-American Anita Malik, and Stephanie Rimmer.

In the 2018 general election for U.S. House district 8, in Arizona, Tipirneni won more than 44 percent of the vote to Debbie Lesko, a Republican currently the incumbent in this district. In the primary for District 8 in 2018, Tipirneni won 100 percent of the Democratic primary vote.