LANSING, Mich. — State Rep. Jay DeBoyer, the Republican nominee to be Michigan's lieutenant governor, told a group over the weekend that voting in support of a constitutional convention might be a way to put limits on abortion access, according to a recording obtained by The Detroit News.

DeBoyer's remarks during a Saturday event in Battle Creek conflicted with public comments by other prominent Republicans, including GOP gubernatorial candidate John James, who have attempted to move past the contentious abortion debate by saying voters already decided the matter.

DeBoyer, of Clay Township, floated the idea of banning abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy through new language in the Constitution, saying he wanted to save "some of those babies" if he can.

"Sometimes, you have to say to yourself, 'This might be our only way,'" DeBoyer said, according to the recording. "It might be."

After being asked about the recording by The Detroit News on Monday, DeBoyer walked back the comments he made two days earlier.

"The abortion issue is settled in Michigan," he said.

DeBoyer wasn't asked directly about the accuracy of the recording, but James campaign spokespeople didn't dispute the recording's accuracy.

In 2022, 57% of Michigan voters supported a ballot proposal to protect abortion rights through an amendment to the state Constitution. The provision says every individual in Michigan "has a fundamental right to reproductive freedom."

What's involved in a Michigan Constitutional Convention

Every 16 years, Michigan voters are automatically asked through a ballot question about whether to force a convention where delegates would reopen and, potentially, propose rewrites to the 1963 Constitution. Any rewrites would be a proposal that would require voter approval.

Since the 1963 Constitution was adopted, the question has failed every time it's appeared on the ballot. It will be Proposal 1 this fall.

At the Battle Creek event with state Rep. Steve Frisbie, a Battle Creek Republican, DeBoyer said he hadn't decided yet whether he'll support the convention proposal. However, he said Michigan currently has "abortion on demand up till birth" and "virtually unregulated marijuana usage."

"Could it get worse? Sure, it could," DeBoyer said. "But at the same time, looking at the politics of the world that we're in right now, it may be our only option to get a correction."

DeBoyer described himself as a "staunch pro-life individual" and contended that people would vote for a proposal to ban abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy if proposed by convention delegates.

Frisbie didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Asked about DeBoyer's comments, James campaign spokeswoman Alyvia Bailey said James already said he opposes the idea of calling a constitutional convention.

In Michigan's last race for governor in 2022, Democrats used Republican candidate Tudor Dixon's opposition to abortion in a series of attack ads. Dixon ultimately lost to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer by 10 percentage points, 44% to 54%.

"If that passes, I’d say I would follow the law," Dixon said of the ballot proposal to safeguard abortion rights during the 2022 campaign.

Dixon later told Fox News that she'd been "defined" by the abortion issue by Democrats from early on in the campaign and was unable to "come back from that."

In 2023, on abortion, James of Shelby Township said the people "have spoken."

"Now that people in Michigan have made their decision, it is my job as the representative to represent my district," James said.

During a Republican primary forum in May, James said he's "pro-life" and will always fight "to defend the rights and the lives of mothers and babies."

State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a Royal Oak Democrat who is a supporter of abortion rights, said DeBoyer's remarks over the weekend were "wildly irresponsible" because Michigan's policy on abortion had been decided by voters.

"He is flat out saying he doesn't respect the will voters," McMorrow said of DeBoyer.

Likewise, Shanay Watson-Whittaker, the director of Michigan campaigns for the group Reproductive Freedom for All, said a prohibition on abortion after 12 weeks was directly in opposition to what voters approved in 2022.

"This is just another vehicle to implement a backdoor abortion ban," Watson-Whittaker said.

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(Staff writers Melissa Nann Burke and Beth LeBlanc contributed to this story.)

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