We endorsed state Sen. Jim Tedisco for reelection last week, but circumstances in recent days have forced us to reconsider. We have never before reversed an endorsement on Election Day, but we've also never confronted a situation quite like this.

Our endorsement of Mr. Tedisco, a Republican, over his Democratic challenger, Michelle Ostrelich, was based on several factors, among them his seeming capacity to grow as a legislator — including what we believed to be in his support for women's reproductive rights. Now he says his position is not what we understood it to be.

Our discussion with Mr. Tedisco touched on the Reproductive Health Act, which would codify in state law Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that established women's constitutional right to an abortion. Opponents of abortion claim the RHA would go too far beyond Roe v. Wade and what is currently allowed in New York; advocates say that's not so.

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Before our editorial board, Mr. Tedisco stated he was "cognizant of a woman's right" to abortion. Asked if he would support the RHA if it simply codified in law what is now effectively allowed in New York — essentially, that abortion is permitted up to 24 weeks unconditionally, and after that in cases of rape, incest or to protect the life or health of the mother — he stated, "I could support that" with guidelines.

Mr. Tedisco now says, however, that he firmly opposes abortion and that the law should allow it only in instances of rape, incest, or if a woman's life — but not health — is in jeopardy.

He says there must have been a "miscommunication" with our editorial board. We find that hard to reconcile with our discussion.

Indeed, Mr. Tedisco is the only one of more than a dozen state legislative candidates to assert such a major misunderstanding when confronted with this question. It strikes us as odd that he did not contact us if he saw such a significant error, but that he did reach out to an anti-choice political action committee to assure them that he is still on their side.

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Fortunately, voters have a choice in the race for the 49th Senate District. Ms. Ostrelich, who says that before the 2016 presidential election she saw herself as a "Rockefeller Republican," is a solid proponent of women's reproductive rights. She also supports stronger enforcement of ethics laws; reforming the Excelsior Scholarship program to allow more people access to higher eduction; greater oversight and transparency in the state's economic development spending; and passage of the Child Victims Act, which would allow civil suits on past child sex abuse cases and would extend civil and criminal statutes of limitation for future offenses.

Ms. Ostrelich isn't as experienced as Mr. Tedisco, but there's a lot to be said for a public servant who offers honest and clear-cut answers to the questions facing New York. She would make a fine state senator.