Shadia Martini, Democratic candidate for Michigan House District 54, is an ardent supporter of abortion rights. As a proud immigrant, Martini advocates for human rights for everyone and believes that “[t]he right to choose is a human right.” As state representative, Martini says that she will “ensure that access to reproductive care continues to be protected, including by protecting the usage of vital abortion medications like Mifepristone.” 

Martini has expressed her support for abortion, stating “I believe that our daughters should not grow up with fewer fundamental rights than the generation before them.”

After Roe v. Wade was overturned and Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban could have taken effect, Martini said that “[n]o one deserves the realities of an abortion ban like the one we lived under in Syria. I am determined to never let it happen in Michigan.”

Martini’s Republican opponent is incumbent Rep. Donni Steele, who was elected in 2022. Steele was previously endorsed by Right to Life of Michigan, which requires its candidates to support abortion bans even in the case of rape or incest. While her endorsement was eventually taken back, Steele continues to be against access to abortion. 

Rep. Steele voted against a bill which repealed restrictions on abortion providers known as “TRAP” laws. These laws require a 24-hour waiting period to get an abortion and facility standards that limit abortion providers. Supporters of the bill repealing these “TRAP” laws argue that “these laws are medically unnecessary and repealing them would make abortions in Michigan more accessible, more affordable and safer.”

A majority of Republican legislators in Michigan voted against repealing the state’s 1931 abortion ban. After Roe v. Wade was overturned, the Republican Party of Michigan issued a statement praising the decision as “a huge win.”