WATERVILLE, Maine — The national debate over abortion access is weaving its way into a state house contest between two Democrats in Waterville.
Bruce White is running for a fourth term in the Maine House of Representatives. While he aligns with most Democrats on issues like gun safety and housing, he's broken with his party several times on abortion.
“I would say I’m pro-life, and that’s no secret,” White said.
Notably, White voted against the Democrat-led effort to enshrine abortion access in the state constitution this year. He also went against an earlier bill aimed at making it easier for abortions to be covered by private health insurance.
This and other votes earned him one of the lowest ratings among Maine House Democrats in Planned Parenthood’s 2023 legislative scorecard.
Now, the organization is backing his primary challenger, Cassie Julia, through its Maine Action Fund PAC. An outspoken reproductive rights advocate, Julia’s campaign website calls her “the only pro-choice primary candidate in this district.”
White’s legislative record on abortion issues, though he says the state’s abortion laws are “sufficient” at this point, was a contributing factor for Julia’s decision to enter the race now.
“That’s my goal here, is to continue to protect the people of Maine until we can restore that protection federally,” Julia said Monday. "I do feel like there's a sense of duty. I'm not saying I'm the only one who could do this."
For his part, White believes his stance offers a much-needed diversity of opinion within the Democratic Party.
“We should have room for those discussions, and I don’t think... that’s happening right now,” White said Monday. “I believe I’m representing all of the residents and my constituents in a balanced way.”
But with the Supreme Court’s decision to send the power to make laws surrounding abortion to the states, Julia sees this kind of a platform as untenable to the post-Dobbs Democratic Party.
“Is there a place for anti-choice Democrats in the Democratic Party? I think there used to be, before Roe was overturned,” Julia explained.
Bruce White and Cassie Julia will compete in the Democratic primary on June 11.