Louisiana Mom Running for US Congress Gives Birth in an Ad Campaign

A Louisiana mom running for candidacy in the U.S. Congress released a new ad campaign where she was seen giving birth, a significant image to express her fight against Louisiana's harsh laws on abortion.

Thirty-six years old Karie Darling released her ad campaign for candidacy against Congressman Steve Scalise Tuesday via her account on Twitter with the caption, "Louisiana ranks 50th in crime, 48th in education, and 46th in health care. I'm running for Congress to stop this race to the bottom because our children deserve better."

The ad's setting was their family's farm in St. Tammany Parish, where she is seen pregnant and doing daily farmwork with her husband and daughter. It then transitioned to a hospital scene where she was being taken inside in a wheelchair and to a hospital bed where she went into labor.

Fight against Louisiana's strict abortion laws

Darling used her intimate birthing moments to address how severe her state's abortion ban is, calling it one of the strictest in the country. She emphasized in her ad how crucial pregnant women should be protected rather than placing their lives at risk.

After the overturning of the 1973 Supreme Court case that legalized abortion as a constitutional right, Roe v. Wade, Louisiana was one of the states that banned abortion. However, it created exceptions for medical emergencies and circumstances when the unborn fetus is declared "medically futile." It can also prosecute medical professionals who are doing abortions.

The U.S. Congress candidate talked with Today Parents and shared that she was seven months pregnant, with a high-risk status, when she had her congressional campaign set in motion. This was shortly after the controversial overturning of Roe v. Wade last June.

She said that being in a high-risk pregnancy made her feel so terrified about the possibilities that could happen to her. Her first reaction was to move from Louisiana. However, she ultimately realized that moving wasn't the answer. If reproductive rights aren't protected, one day soon, there will be nowhere left to move.

Darling is running because she wants to represent women, and she wants to fight for them. She is focused on reproductive freedom, education, and storm mitigation, which she highlighted in her ad campaign.

She concluded that Louisiana residents deserve better than their current path. She is running to build a better path for the viewer, herself, and the newborn son in her arms.

Ad campaign 'stands out'

The ad campaign has gone viral since it was posted. It now has almost 63,000 views and has been retweeted and picked up by news and media entities.

According to American political scientist and columnist Lynn Vavreck, the ad stands out because it is "highly personal." It accomplished one of the two essential goals in a political race. It had a high potential to stir up attention, build name recognition, and motivate donations. However, persuading the people to understand a point of view might be more difficult than Darling expected.

Candidates should not assume that they can easily change people's minds because their belief systems have existed since they were young, especially regarding social or identity issues.