California Planned Parenthood Endorses Barrera

(San Diego) The Planned Parenthood Action Fund of California supports Democrat Richard Barrera to be the next Superintendent of Public Instruction. PPAC is the non-partisan political advocacy and public policy arm of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive healthcare for all people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education.

Planned Parenthood health centers provide millions of people in the U.S. with birth control, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment, lifesaving cancer screenings, and safe, legal abortion. At least one in five women has relied on a Planned Parenthood health center for care in her lifetime.

In announcing the Barrera endorsement Jodi Hicks, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California said, “Planned Parenthood Action Fund supports Richard Barrera for State Superintendent of Public Instruction because he understands that in order to succeed in school and as adults, young people must first be healthy and safe. Under his leadership, San Diego schools have become a model in ensuring that students receive comprehensive, age-appropriate, medically accurate inclusive sexual health education. He also worked with his local affiliate, Planned Parenthood Pacific Southwest, to ensure that students could access reproductive health care confidentially through school nurses and counselors. Throughout his nearly two decades of experience in education, he has stood up time and time again to protect vulnerable student populations, including immigrant communities and trans youth, and their right to access healthcare, education, and the support they need and deserve.  We look forward to continuing our partnership with Richard as our State Superintendent where he will take his commitment to student health and safety to every school in the state.”

Barrera, who currently serves as President of the San Diego Unified School District Board of Trustees, outpaced a large field of other Democratic candidates in the June primary to advance to November’s general election. Barrera’s opponent is a MAGA Republican Trump supporter.

Barrera has forcefully opposed efforts by the Trump administration to undermine fact-based, inclusive healthcare; the Republican reign of terror by ICE; and the systematic demolition of the federal Department of Education, including the elimination of guarantees that public education be free of bias.

“Planned Parenthood’s endorsement is a deep honor for me,” says Barrera. “Their work to ensure the well-being of young people is unparalleled. I have been proud to be their partner in ensuring that school curricula and services are accurate, accessible and affordable. The Trump administration’s assault on Planned Parenthood through blocking Medicaid reimbursements and family planning funding is yet another example of the Republican campaign against science, compassion, and fairness. I have fought the Trump agenda in San Diego and I pledge that as State Superintendent I will take the fight statewide and to the nation’s capitol to ensure that everyone has access to quality, affordable healthcare.”

Planned Parenthood Action Fund joins nurses, mental health clinicians, and hospital and clinic staff in endorsing Barrera. A complete list of those endorsing Barrera can be found at https://www.barreraforedu.com/641677865886 .

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Barrera is available for one-on-one interviews. Learn more about him at https://www.barreraforedu.com/

For more information contact Dale Kelly Bankhead, 619.549.3140, dkbankhead@yahoo.com