Michigan Republican Paul Hudson’s campaign is backed by extreme anti-abortion groups

In 2022, nearly 60% of Michigan voters approved a state constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights. Paul Hudson, a Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, is backed by groups fighting to overturn that amendment.

Hudson is running in Michigan’s third congressional district. He is challenging Democratic Rep. Hillary Scholten. 

Hudson ran unsuccessfully for the Michigan Supreme Court in 2022. He was endorsed in that race by Right to Life of Michigan (RLM), a far-right anti-abortion group. The group’s website explicitly states that RLM will only endorse candidates who support total abortion bans with no rape or incest exceptions. The only acceptable exception, according to RLM, is when the mother’s life is at risk.

A 1931 Michigan law banning abortion was reinstated after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. When the Michigan legislature voted to repeal the 1931 law, RLM withdrew its endorsements of two Republican lawmakers who supported the repeal. After voters approved Proposition 3 — a ballot initiative that added the right to an abortion to the state constitution — RLM filed a lawsuit challenging the measure.

Hudson’s current campaign website makes no reference to abortion or women’s health care. It appears he has only made one social media post on the issue, stating that he will not overturn Proposition 3 or support a national abortion ban.

“My position is crystal clear: I respect the will of the people of Michigan who voted to amend our state constitution to recognize a right to an abortion,” Hudson posted in September 2024. “I don’t support a federal ban on abortion. This is an issue for the voters of each state to decide the policy that’s best for them in their communities.”

Despite this proclamation, Hudson’s current campaign is backed by Citizens for Traditional Values (CTV), a nonprofit religious advocacy group. The CTV website states that the group only endorses candidates who believe in the “sanctity of life.” The group also opposes same-sex marriage.

CTV, like RLM, opposed the state legislature vote to repeal Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban. The group also opposed Proposition 3 and the Women’s Health Protection Act, a bill that sought to protect abortion access nationwide.

Hudson is tied to other candidates and lawmakers who oppose abortion rights.

In April, Hudson celebrated a dual endorsement from Rep. Jack Begman and former Chief of the Detroit Police Department James Craig. In July 2023, Bergman co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act, which sought to enact a federal abortion ban that would nullify Proposition 3. Craig publicly opposed efforts to repeal Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban.

Hudson has endorsed former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race. Trump has refused to commit to vetoing a national abortion ban if he returns to the White House.

A Hudson campaign spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.