Buttons in support of Issue 1, the Right to Reproductive Freedom amendment, sit on display at a rally held by Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Joe Maiorana, File)

Ohio Republican congressional candidate Orlando Sonza has walked back his prior opposition to abortion restrictions after supporting a federal abortion ban just two years prior.

In a statement to Business Insider, Sonza admitted that the results of Ohio’s Issue 1 ballot measure campaign softened his stance on abortion rights. In November, Ohio voters approved Issue 1, which enshrined the constitutional right to make private reproductive decisions into state law.

While he was running for the Ohio state Senate in 2022, Sonza filled out a questionnaire by Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati where he indicated that he supports a federal abortion ban and the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

Sonza is currently the lone Republican on ticket for Ohio’s First Congressional District primary, which will be held on March 19. Looking to defeat incumbent Rep. Greg Landsman (D), he has gathered endorsements from prominent GOP leaders like House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).