PORTLAND — The sister of Republican candidate for governor Bobby Charles says she’s voting for his Democratic opponent, Hannah Pingree.
Anita Charles told reporters Wednesday she disagrees with her brother’s stance on abortion and says he lacks the experience necessary to set education policy.
She also talked about a deeply personal issue, sexual assault. Charles said she was abused by someone who was part of their lives.
“Bobby has never stood up for the right of a woman or a girl to her own body,” she said. “If I had gotten pregnant at the age of 12 as a result of my trauma, today’s Bobby would have directly blocked me from getting the healthcare I needed.”
In response, Bobby Charles told reporters in Portland that he opposes public funding for abortions and late term abortions but would make exceptions for extreme cases. He added that he would like the opportunity to speak to women considering the procedure.
“To be honest that kind of a situation is so horrifying of course there are exceptions,” he said. “What people don’t realize is that these issues everybody wants to make black and white are really a moral hazard.”
Charles is one of three people running for governor, joining Pingree and independent Rick Bennett on the November 3rd ballot.
While responding to his sister’s comments, Charles said he was physically abused as a boy growing up in their home in Wayne. As the oldest child, he said he did not learn of his sister’s abuse until he had moved away to attend law school.
“When I learned what had happened to her, maybe others have felt this instinct, my first instinct was to go kill the man,” he said. “You don’t do that if you’re a law-abiding person.”
In addition to her concern about her brother’s stance on abortion and education, Anita Charles said she disagrees with what she described as his “mean spirited rhetoric that aims to insight fear and hatred toward vulnerable groups.”
In response, Charles said he loves people and does not discriminate.
“Skin color means nothing to me,” he said. “Country of origin means nothing to me. All I believe in is rule of law, compassion, how you treat, people, how the system treats people.”
