The Case Against Matt Larkin

“Matt Larkin is out of touch with Washington families and his extreme agenda of banning abortion nationwide and peddling dangerous conspiracy theories shows it. Meanwhile, Congresswoman Kim Schrier has a clear record of working with both parties to solve problems and deliver results for Washington state families. Larkin will have his own extremism to thank when Washington voters reject him at the ballot box this November and re-elect Congresswoman Schrier to keep fighting for them,” said DCCC Chairman Sean Patrick Maloney. 

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To: Interested Parties
From: Johanna Warshaw, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: August 4, 2022
Subject: The Case Against Matt Larkin

Whether it’s wanting to roll back a woman’s right to an abortion, pushing dangerous lies that led to the deadly January 6 insurrection, or misleading Washington voters about his resume, Matt Larkin has proved that he’s nothing more than a dangerous extremist who is out of step with Washington families.

While the majority of Washingtonians overwhelmingly support a woman’s right to choose, Larkin is staunchly anti-choice, even going as far as to claim he was the “only one who is pro-life” in the GOP primary. With Republicans already plotting a nationwide ban on abortion without exceptions, Larkin has made clear that he will vote with GOP extremists to rip away reproductive rights against the will of Washington women and families. And just like his party bosses, Larkin has peddled dangerous conspiracy theories about the 2020 election that led to a deadly insurrection and sowed widespread distrust in our nation’s elections.

Meanwhile, Congresswoman Kim Schrier has proven to be an independent and effective voice for the people of Washington’s 8th Congressional District. Congresswoman Schrier has gotten 13 bills signed into law since taking office, including legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs like insulin. She’s fought to find real solutions to the supply chain backups and rising prices working families are facing because of COVID. And as a physician, Congresswoman Schrier has always stood up for a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions, free from interference of politicians.

With Congresswoman Schrier’s record of delivering for Washington and Larkin’s history of backing extreme and out of touch positions, Washington voters won’t hesitate to re-elect Congresswoman Schrier this November to keep fighting for them.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Seattle Times: The Times recommends: Kim Schrier for the 8th Congressional District [Seattle Times, 7/15/22]

KNDU: Rep. Schrier introduces bill pushing for a gas tax holiday [KNDU, 2/18/22]

iFIBER One News: Lawmaker rolls up sleeves and gets to work on fixing Wenatchee’s ‘broken’ VA clinic [iFIBER One News, 11/15/21]

KNDU: Congresswoman Kim Schrier and FEMA meet with local fire chiefs to discuss resources for wildfires [KNDU, 4/12/22]

Seattle Times: “Larkin also wouldn’t say whether he believes President Joe Biden’s win over Donald Trump was legitimate or whether he buys into Trump’s unproven and false claims of widespread fraud.” [Seattle Times, 6/1/22]

The Cascadia Advocate: “2020 Attorney General candidate Matt Larkin and 2020 Schrier challenger Jesse Jensen have both taken emphatic anti-abortion stands.” [The Cascadia Advocate, 5/12/22]

KUOW: Conspiracy theories abound in Republican battle to retake Washington’s 8th Congressional District [KUOW, 2/1/2022]

MATT LARKIN IS TOO EXTREME FOR WASHINGTON STATE

Extreme Anti-Abortion, Anti-Health Care Agenda 

With the Supreme Court having overturned Roe v. Wade and Republicans in Congress already discussing plans to push a nationwide ban on abortion, Matt Larkin has made it clear that he will join his far-right colleagues in D.C. to rip away abortion rights.

Larkin confirmed that he would be vote in favor of a nationwide ban on abortion that could overrule laws already on the books in states like Washington, telling supporters, “I can see a strong conservative Congress putting forward that vote to ban it nationally.” He wants to outlaw abortion even in cases of rape and incest, and has called for banning abortion outright from conception – an extreme position that could also ban certain forms of birth control and Plan B. Larkin also supports defunding Planned Parenthood, making it harder for women to access basic health care services like birth control and cancer screenings.

Larkin’s anti-choice positions are so extreme that he was praised for being “unashamedly pro-life” by the far-right Family Policy Institute of Washington, which supports banning abortion entirely and has compared it to slavery as a “grotesque evil that took too long to extinguish.”

When it comes to ensuring people across Washington have access to quality, affordable health care, Larkin has proven once again that he can’t be trusted. While Congresswoman Schrier is working to lower the cost of health care and prescription drugs, Larkin and MAGA Republicans want to repeal the Affordable Care Act and gut protections for those with preexisting conditions like asthma, cancer, and diabetes.

Larkin’s anti-choice, anti-health care agenda stands in stark contrast to Congresswoman Schrier, one of the first women doctors in Congress, who has always fought to protect a woman’s right to choose and ensure everyone has access to quality, affordable health care.

Misleading Washington Voters

During his failed bid for attorney general, Larkin was caught inflating his resume and misleading Washington voters about his prosecutorial experience. He stated on the campaign trail that he had experience prosecuting on “both sides of the mountains” in Pierce and Spokane counties, despite only having worked as an unpaid “extern” in Spokane County and working for only 67 days in Pierce County.

According to the Spokesman-Review, “Larkin served as student volunteer known as an ‘extern’ in the Spokane County prosecutor’s office while at Gonzaga, so he would have needed supervision by an attorney, and only worked for about two months in Pierce County as a deputy prosecutor before leaving to help with the family business.”

MAGA Conspiracy Theorist

Following in the footsteps of MAGA Republicans, Larkin has refused to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election and has peddled dangerous conspiracy theories about the January 6 riot, which resulted in the death of 5 people, injured 140 law enforcement officers, and sowed extreme distrust in our nation’s elections. And he refused to take a stance on setting up a bipartisan commission to investigate the horrific events of January 6 and ensure it never happens again. When it comes to Trump, Larkin even said “I love all the things the president is doing […] It’s nice to see a president not care.” If election deniers like Larkin had things their way, Washingtonians’ votes could be thrown out just because they don’t like the results.

While Larkin spends his time pushing false conspiracy theories, Congresswoman Schrier has been hard at work advocating for the health and safety of Washington families.

PATH TO VICTORY

The new WA-08 is a highly college educated, increasingly diverse district that has been consistently won by Democrats in recent cycles. In both 2020 and 2018, Democratic congressional candidates performed 0.6 points better in the new WA-08 than in the previous configuration. On top of that, Congresswoman Kim Schrier heads into November with a record-breaking warchest, having raised $1.7 million in the second quarter of 2022 and a staggering $6.1 million cash on hand.

With a strong record and the resources needed to communicate on it, Congresswoman Schrier will have no problem securing re-election this November and continue her work on behalf of Washington families.

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