Rob Mercuri Scrubs Anti-Abortion Language From Website for Congressional Run

Rob Mercuri, who announced his congressional campaign on Tuesday, was caught removing anti-abortion language from his campaign website.

Pennsylvania State Rep. Rob Mercuri (R-Allegheny) announced his campaign for Congress on Tuesday, and like clockwork, his campaign removed  any mentions of his anti-abortion stances from his website’s “issues” page. 

If Mercuri makes it through the Republican primary, he will challenge US Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Allegheny) in Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District. 

“I’m running for Congress to restore the American dream for the next generation,” Mercuri wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. ”As a veteran, father, small businessman, & conservative state legislator, I know we must protect our conservative values & get our nation back on track.”

Noah Torok, a political science student at the University of Pittsburgh, was the first to notice that Mercuri scrubbed his campaign website of his anti-abortion stances. 

Thanks to the Wayback Machine, an internet archive, The Keystone was able to confirm that Mercuri’s website used to include his anti-abortion views.

“A proud pro-life and pro-family leader, he will continue to defend the sanctity of life compassionately through all its phases and always keep the needs of families in mind when crafting policy” the old version of Mercuri’s issues page read. “That’s what I’m proud to stand with women, families and the unborn as a pro-life member of the State House. I hope you stand with me.” 

Mercuri’s updated site makes no issue of his views on abortion.

During last year’s legislative session, Mercuri signed onto State Rep. Stephanie Borowicz’s six-week abortion ban and voted for Senate Bill 106, a proposed constitutional amendment that would have banned the right to an abortion. 

If this sounds familiar, that’s because it is. 

The Keystone previously caught Carolyn Carluccio, the Republican nominee for Pennsylvania Supreme Court, scrubbing her anti-abortion resume from her campaign website. Carluccio was also endorsed in the primary by the PA Pro-Life Federation.