Citizen Action of New York, an activist group, held a reproductive freedom rally on Monday to protest Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro’s policies related to abortion rights.

Pro-choice advocates from the community attended the protest, held in Tyler Park at noon. The rally was part of Citizen Action’s weekly protests, called “Molinaro Mondays,” that denounce Molinaro’s policies and voting record on issues like SNAP benefits and veteran services. Molinaro is running for reelection to New York’s 19th Congressional District, which includes Binghamton, Ithaca and Cortland.

“He can say whatever incendiary rhetoric he wants about other people, but the congressman needs to be held accountable at the polls because he consistently votes against women,” said Ravo Root, a community organizer with Citizen Action.

Molinaro previously served in the State Legislature and as Dutchess County executive. He was the Republican nominee in the 2018 gubernatorial race against then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Margaret Giordano, a senior majoring in psychology serving as president of Binghamton University’s Abortion Advocacy Coalition, an organization that aims to connect students to reproductive care resources, attended the rally.

“I think it serves as a very poignant reminder that just because we’re in New York it doesn’t mean that we’re always going to be safe, and that we always need to be aware and speaking out about what the politicians in this area are doing,” Giordano said of the protest. “His voting is obviously ridiculous, like unconscionable. I think that it’s just really important to make sure that people in the area know, especially with elections coming up, what his voting record is.”

The race for Molinaro’s seat is expected to be close, making the congressman a top target of Democrats, who are looking to reclaim a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has amplified Molinaro’s vote to ban the use of Medicaid funds for abortion while in the State Assembly and opposing the federal Reproductive Health Act. According to campaign finance records, Molinaro has transferred funds to Care Net Ministries, a self-described pro-abundant life ministry, that operates crisis pregnancy centers, which can attempt to dissuade women from receiving an abortion.

In a statement to Pipe Dream, Molinaro’s press secretary said the congressman believes “healthcare decisions should be between a woman and her doctor” and voted against a national abortion ban. They also mentioned Molinaro’s positions, often against members of his party, in support of in vitro fertilization, birth control and mifepristone.

The majority of gathered constituents at the rally were senior citizens who reflected on the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, which established a constitutional right to abortion, and the court’s subsequent overturning of that ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision two years ago. Wanda Mead Campbell ‘66, said she struggles to remain positive when discussing abortion.

“I’m just appalled that we have gone backward and that we are redoing the same issue,” Campbell said.

The protest saw nearly unanimous support for Josh Riley, the Democratic candidate battling Molinaro for the congressional seat. Grace Merrill, a volunteer with Citizen Action, said Riley voiced his firm support for a woman’s right to choose in a personal conversation with her, and she felt optimistic about his chances.

“I phone bank with [Citizen Action] Mondays and Wednesday nights,” Merrill said. “Almost every conversation I’ve had with someone, if they don’t know who Marc Molinaro is, once you tell them about his voting record, they’re usually pretty upset about it — and if they do know him, they’re already upset with the distrust that he’s caused among constituents.”

Root emphasized the importance of standing up for women’s rights and his hope that the protests will help prevent Molinaro’s reelection.

“We’re organizing every day,” Root said. “And that’s the hope, and we’re gonna kick him the hell out of office.”