Washington attorney general—and Republican gubernatorial hopeful—Rob McKenna doesn't know if he supports a woman's right to comprehensive health care (or if he does, he's not telling). For weeks, McKenna has refused to answer questions from both the media and constituents on whether he supports the Reproductive Parity Act, a bill introduced on January 9 by Representative Eileen Cody (D-34), chair of the house Health Care and Wellness Committee, which would require all health insurance policies sold in Washington that offer maternity coverage to also cover abortions.

"I look forward to reading the bill when it becomes available," McKenna wrote on Facebook on January 10, neatly dodging a constituent's question about the bill. He hasn't responded to questions about the bill since.

Washington State insurers currently couple their maternity and abortion coverage. Cody's bill would ensure that they continue to do so through 2014, when every Washington resident will be required to purchase health insurance coverage in accordance with the Affordable Care Act—which McKenna is also fighting on a national level.

"McKenna has purposefully evaded questions about whether he supports vital protections for women's health," says Reesa Kossoff, a spokeswoman for the Washington State Democrats.

His silence makes a certain sense, strategy- wise. McKenna has pitched himself as a moderate Republican to Seattle's liberal voting base, trying to draw votes from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jay Inslee in King County. But at the same time, he needs to present himself as a friend of the Tea Party, Eastern Washington conservatives, and evangelical voters. Speaking out on women's reproductive health and gay marriage—another issue McKenna's been silent on—could threaten his popularity with the right wing. Hence, the silence.

It's a silence that Inslee's backers are loudly highlighting. "Rob McKenna can't hide from his support of discrimination against same-sex couples—including his leadership in the fight to preserve DOMA in state law and equating marriage equality to polygamy and incest," Kossoff says.

The public shaming may be paying off, with a KING 5 poll released on January 16 showing Inslee closing in on McKenna. Inslee, according to this poll, has shaved McKenna's six-point lead from a few months ago down to just three points. And, KING 5 reports: "In the poll, 43 percent say Inslee better reflects their position on social issues, compared to 40 percent for McKenna."

While McKenna's evasion on women's reproductive health and gay marriage have likely impacted his poll numbers, there's been no apparent financial cost—yet. He's currently beating Inslee in the money race, having taken in a total of $3.67 million to Inslee's $3.1 million.

Naturally, McKenna's campaign didn't respond to requests for comment.