Josh Mandelbaum runs for mayor on an abortion platform

The city of Des Moines has flourished over the past two decades. In fact, in an analysis of all the cities in the U.S., the US News and World Report ranks Des Moines as #19! That’s how great this city is. But next week’s mayoral race features a candidate who wants to turn Des Moines into a sanctuary city for abortion.

Yes, Josh Mandelbaum is running for mayor of Des Moines on an abortion platform. Watch his campaign ad above.

In it, he criticizes Governor Kim Reynolds for signing pro-life legislation. It states he proposes ‘new’ reproductive health protections.

And what are these new protections? Here is his proposal:

• Provide a benefit to city employees to cover travel costs in the case that they must seek abortion care outside the state;
• Prohibit discrimination based on reproductive health care decisions;
• Prohibit use of city funds to store or catalog information about abortion, conduct surveillance or collect information to determine if an abortion occurred, or provide information to government agencies about an abortion;
• Make enforcement of state laws that seek to criminalize abortion the lowest enforcement priority; and
• Advocate for the codification of access to abortion care in state and federal law.

In other words, he demands that taxpayers partially fund abortions for our city employees. And in Iowa’s largest city, he wants to end enforcement of pro-life laws passed by our state legislature.

His opponent, Connie Boesen, disagrees

His chief opponent, Connie Boesen, disagrees with Mandelbaum. Although Ms. Boesen is pro-choice, she believes the issue belongs at the state level. And when push came to shove, she voted NO when Mandelbaum called for a vote in Des Moines’ City Council last year. (Pulse was present monitoring the debate.)

Des Moines experienced a renaissance over the past two decades, led by council members who focused on appropriate city matters such as downtown development, bike paths, beautiful parks and public safety.

Josh Mandelbaum fundraises on the abortion issue. He has one of the largest campaign war chests of any mayor candidate in the country as out-of-state abortion money pours into his coffers.

Pro-lifers are advised to keep their eye on the ball. Although the current city council is opposed to Mandelbaum’s radical proposal, that can change in a single election cycle.

Mandelbaum’s website trumpets the fact that he is an “outspoken voice in favor of ‘progressive’ policy”, and that policy begins with gutting life protections in Des Moines. 

While most mayoral candidates focus on “livability” issues to make a city better, Mandelbaum focuses on death.

Are you okay with that?