While most of the post-election analytical focus has been on the presidential campaign and Congressional losses, pro-life advocacy groups tell LifeNews they fared well when it comes to races for the state legislature.
In many cases most all of the candidates they supported and endorsed won and they say the results set up state legislatures to make more pro-life gains with bills that limit abortion — after two record years which saw abortion advocates complain tat more pro-life legislation was proposed and passed than in years prior.
In Massachusetts, according to Massachusetts Citizens for Life, which listed the winners (36 Democrats and 24 Republicans) who received PAC endorsement or recommendation.:
The Mass Values Independent Expenditure PAC, a Super PAC espousing abortion rights, which raised well over $75,000 from liberal groups, targeted pro-life representatives: George Ross (R), Attleboro, Steven Levy (R), Marlborough, Peter Durant (R) Spencer, and James Lyons Jr. (R), Andover. They only managed to defeat Ross and Levy.
The untold story of the November 6th election is how well pro-life candidates performed throughout Pennsylvania, adds Maria Gallagher, Legislative/PAC Director for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation. She told LifeNews:
Pro-life Congressional candidates swept to victory. All the incumbent Congressmen endorsed by the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation Political Action Committee won their races. In addition, pro-life Keith Rothfus scored an upset win against incumbent Mark Critz (D-12), who had a mixed voting record on pro-life issues.
Likewise, a pro-life majority remains in the state legislature. It should be noted that the pro-life caucuses in the House and the Senate include both Republicans and Democrats. Pennsylvania has a long-standing tradition of electing pro-life Democrats to office, despite the fact that the national party platform is pro-abortion.
We are honored by the fact that so many of Pennsylvania’s legislators are committed to helping pregnant women and their children. Pennsylvanians can be proud of the fact that they have such dedicated public servants who believe in empowering women and protecting life. We are particularly fortunate to have so many gifted pro-life women who have been elected to the state legislature. Their leadership is inspiring to the many women who believe that human life should be protected—from the dawn to the twilight of life.
Kathy Ostrowski, Kansans for Life Legislative Director, told LifeNews:
Both our U.S. Senators, Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran, are pro-life and all four Congressional reps are pro-life. Two of them, Tim Huelskamp and Kevin Yoder, had uncontested races, while the remaining two, Mike Pompeo and Lynn Jenkins, saw robust victories Tuesday.
Kansas’ pro-life Gov. Sam Brownback was not up for re-election this year, but actively lent his support to firming up pro-life majorities in the state House and Senate. The Kansas House will continue its super-majority status, with a minimum of 86 (and probably higher) pro-lifers out of 125 members. The Senate has now attained a pro-life super majority with 29 of its 40 members.
76% of House candidates and 70% of Senate candidates who garnered Kansans for Life’s endorsement won contested races Tuesday, similar to the rate of pro-life success in the August primaries.
Olivia Gans Turner of Virginians for Life told LifeNews:
There is good news! We have saved all eight of our Virginia pro-life Congressmen, Representatives Wttman, Rigell, Forbes, Hurt, Goodlatte, Cantor, Griffith, and Wolf.
Nebraska Right to Life informed LifeNews:
Mike Fichter of Indiana Right to Life added:
Indiana fared much better on election night, with the most significant victory being the election of Mike Pence as Indiana’s next governor. Governor-elect Pence and Lieutenant Governor-elect Sue Ellspermann represent a powerful tandem that will work to enact pro-life policies in Indiana.
Republicans added nine seats in the Indiana House, creating pro-life supermajorities in the Indiana Senate and House. These supermajorities create great opportunities for advancing pro-life legislation in 2013 and 2014.
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Indiana State Senator Scott Schneider, the senate author of the 2011 amendment to defund Planned Parenthood, won a convincing victory over a challenger who was heavily funded by Planned Parenthood. Schneider was the top state legislative target of abortion supporters in Indiana.
Indiana will send two pro-life women to Congress with Susan Brooks (CD5) and Jackie Walorski (CD2). Jackie Walorski’s pick-up of CD2 gives us 7 pro-life seats in the U.S. House (Walorski, Stutzman, Rokita, Brooks, Messer, Bucshon, and Young) versus 2 pro-abortion seats (Visclosky, Carson).
The Indiana House will welcome three pro-life freshmen women to its caucus: Sharon Negele, Cindy Ziemke and Peggy Mayfield.
Seventy-eight percent of candidates endorsed by Indiana Right to Life PAC were victorious on Election Day 2012.
