Democratic congressional candidate Laura Gillen has made abortion rights a central issue of her campaign. But when Playbook asked her how she voted on ballot proposal 1 — the Democrat-backed effort to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution — Gillen ignored the question. Then she ignored it eight more times. “Have a great day,” she said, putting her head down and swiftly walking away as reporters continued to ask how she voted. The moment served as an encapsulation of just how fraught the effort to enshrine abortion rights in true-blue New York has become. Once thought to be a boon that would drive voter turnout for Democrats, the vaguely worded amendment was co-opted by Republicans who sought to turn it into a referendum on trans athletes' participation on sports teams. Now, Prop 1 appears to be a liability for Democrats on Election Day — especially in one of the state’s most competitive House districts where control of Congress hangs in the balance. “Laura Gillen continues to try and hide her leftist values that are wildly out of step with Long Islanders like her support for men playing in girl’s sports, which is in strong contrast with Congressman D’Esposito who has been clear about his opposition to Proposition 1 since day one,” Matt Capp, a spokesperson for Gillen’s opponent, Republican Anthony D’Esposito, told Playbook in a statement. The language of the ballot proposal — which was the subject of its own controversy — does not include the word “abortion” but would add “anti-discrimination provisions” to the state constitution that address “reproductive healthcare and autonomy” and “gender identity and pregnancy.” Gillen’s campaign issued a statement to Playbook after she dodged questions, saying she backed the measure, but it did not outright confirm how she voted. “I support measures that protect women’s reproductive freedoms — including Prop 1 — while my opponent has repeatedly voted to rip away women’s abortion rights,” Gillen said. New Yorkers for Equal Rights, which runs the campaign to pass Prop 1, declined to comment on the story. The campaign, spearheaded by its director Sasha Ahuja, came under scrutiny after a POLITICO report revealed the effort had become a cash cow for polling and consultant firms. As of the start of October, organizers of the measure had spent less than 16 percent of funds on direct voter outreach. Since then, they’ve spent millions in the final days before Election Day on advertising and other direct voter outreach. Gov. Kathy Hochul also hosted rallies to boost the ballot proposal as the state Democratic party swooped in to assist with outreach and an additional $2 million in cash. Hochul, through the state party’s Coordinated Campaign effort, has also injected Democratic volunteers and resources into Gillen’s race. It wasn’t as if Gillen didn’t want reporters at the polls with her today — she had invited the press to take pictures of her voting and planned to answer questions outside the site. While speaking with reporters, she identified “protecting reproductive freedom” as one of her winning issues. The state party is already bracing for a poor showing for the amendment. “I don’t think it will be reflective of the support that abortion rights have in the state of New York because, unfortunately, due to the way it was written, voters simply can’t understand it and Republicans can try to misconstrue it,” New York Democratic Committee Chair Jay Jacobs told Playbook on Monday. — Jason Beeferman | 
