Abortion rights got this Arizona man to volunteer politically for the first time

“I think it is a responsibility, and I think men should be involved since it’s largely men on the other side who are trying to take these rights away.” —George Kachergis

George Kachergis said he’s always been a supporter of women’s rights and he’s always voted, but he wasn’t always politically engaged.

“I’m from North Carolina, which is sort of a purple state at best most years,” he said. “Being in Arizona, going door to door has me a little nervous, but it sounds like you can have good experiences too, and maybe people are more appreciative.”

The Arizona resident has been canvassing with Arizona for Abortion Access—the campaign that organized to get Prop 139 on the ballot. Those petitions got well over the minimum number of signatures to create a ballot measure this November—more than 800,000. That’s almost 25% of the total voters in Arizona during the 2020 election.

Over 100 volunteers gathered at Kobalt in Phoenix to knock doors in favor of Prop 139. (Photo by Robert Gundran)

Now, the group is knocking on doors to answer voters’ questions about the ballot measure, which would constitutionally protect abortion before fetal viability in Arizona. Prop 139 would also prohibit potential future laws from penalizing health care providers who offer the procedure.

Kachergis said he’s hoping to find people who are enthusiastic about voting in 2024 while canvassing.

“The dream is finding somebody who is on the fence, but I can convince. Maybe that’s too high of a bar,” he said. “I’m happy to have some respectful conversations with people.”

Kachergis noted that it is often men in positions of power who are trying to take away bodily autonomy from women in the US, and that he believes pro-choice men should be on the front lines to defend women’s rights.

“We certainly don’t want anybody legislating anything about our bodies,” he said. “So I think it is a responsibility, and I think men should be involved since it’s largely men on the other side who are trying to take these rights away.”

Reproductive rights have been in a sort of limbo in Arizona since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, with the Dobbs decision. Kachergis said that’s a major reason he decided to get more politically engaged.

“We’re concerned about the recent [US] Supreme Court actions and how [the Court] has been stuffed by the conservatives,” Kachergis said. “[Dobbs] was on our minds and it was a very dark day for the whole system.”

RELATED: This conservative is supporting Democrats and Prop 139 in 2024 because of GOP abortion bans

It isn’t just the US Supreme Court that’s packed with conservatives. Former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey expanded the Arizona Supreme Court from five justices to seven in 2016. All seven justices on the Arizona Supreme Court were appointed by Republican governors Ducey and Jan Brewer.

Earlier this year, that court reinstated an 1864 law banning abortion entirely except to save the life of the mother. That law also had a criminal penalty of two years in prison for any medical providers who performed an abortion.

The 2024 Arizona Legislature repealed the Civil War-era law less than a month after the court decision. Today, abortion is banned in Arizona after 15 weeks, with no exceptions for rape or incest.

Every time voters across the US have had the opportunity to protect abortion since the fall of Roe, they’ve done so. In addition to having their chance to decide the fate of abortion in the state on Nov. 5, Arizonans will vote on every seat in the state Legislature—all 90 are up for election.

See who’s on your ballot here, and check your voter registration here.