By Carol Long Tobias, NRL PAC Director
The November 3 elections were a mixed blessing for the pro-life movement. We held our own in the U.S. Senate but lost a handful of votes in the House. Not widely known is that because you worked so hard (see story, back cover), the movement also picked up a gubernatorial seat.
While pro-lifers didn't have as many successes as hoped for this year, volunteers and members of National Right to Life can be proud of their efforts in helping to re-elect pro-life members of Congress, as well as electing new pro-life members. Although the House margin is narrower, pro-lifers continue to hold a majority on most current issues in Congress.
Overall, most incumbents from both sides of the political aisle won re-election. Pro-life state Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R) was the only pro-life Senate candidate to defeat a pro-abortion incumbent. Fitzgerald unseated Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun (D) in Illinois by a vote of 51%-47%. Moseley-Braun was an ardent opponent of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act and pro-lifers worked extremely hard to make sure the voters knew her position.
Pro-life Gov. George Voinovich (R-Oh.) and pro-life Rep. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) defeated pro-abortion opponents to win open seats in the Senate. Voinovich won handily over former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Mary Boyle, 56%-44%. He replaces retiring pro-abortion Sen. John Glenn (D). Boyle had been endorsed by EMILY's List, which supports only pro-abortion Democratic women.
In one of the closest races of the year, Bunning defeated Rep. Scotty Baesler (D) 50%-49% to win the seat vacated by retiring pro-life Democratic Sen. Wendell Ford. National Right to Life PAC was heavily involved in the race and is being given much of the credit for Bunning's narrow win.
In a post-election press conference, Baesler said radio ads alerting voters that he supported abortion "probably... hurt me more than anything else," and he specifically mentioned NRL PAC's get-out-the-vote telephone calls as being instrumental in the outcome of the race.
In addition to radio ads, NRL PAC also distributed more than 300,000 brochures to Kentucky homes and called more than 150,000 households.
Baesler was also one of the strongest proponents in the House of campaign finance "reform" measures that would severely restrict the right of groups such as NRLC to educate the public about politicians' positions and upcoming votes in Congress.
Unfortunately, two pro-life senators were defeated by pro- abortion opponents. Senators Lauch Faircloth (R-NC) and Al D 'Amato (R-NY) lost to John Edwards (D) and Rep. Charles Schumer (D), respectively. Schumer has a solid pro-abortion voting record in the House, supporting tax funding of abortion and partial-birth abortions. Edwards stated during the campaign that he supports President Clinton's veto of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.
Overall the pro-life side gained one Senate vote on partial-birth abortion (see story, page 6) but lost one vote on some other issues.
House
The movement lost a handful of votes in the House. It's difficult to put a single exact number on the loss because each legislative issue - - partial-birth abortions, the Hyde Amendment, the Mexico City Policy - - would occasionally receive support from some pro-abortion members of Congress. On the overall question of whether unborn babies should be legally protected, the House apparently is down four votes.
Pro-life state Rep. Mark Green (R) of Wisconsin was the only pro- life candidate to defeat a pro-abortion incumbent, Rep. Jay Johnson (D). Another Wisconsin pro-lifer to win election was Paul Ryan, who won the seat formerly held by pro-life Rep. Mark Neumann, who made an unsuccessful run for the Senate against Russ Feingold (D). Ryan defeated Lydia Spottswood, who had been endorsed by EMILY's List.
In Kentucky, Senator-elect Jim Bunning's House seat was picked up by pro-life Democrat Ken Lucas, while Rep. Baesler's seat was won by pro-life physician Ernie Fletcher (R).
In North Carolina, retiring pro-abortion Rep. Bill Hefner (D) will be replaced by pro-life Robin Hayes (R), a former state senator. In Pennsylvania, pro-life businessman Don Sherwood (R) will succeed retiring pro-life Republican Congressman Joe McDade.
Several of the newly elected pro-life members of Congress will take over seats currently held by pro-life members of Congress. Pro-life Democratic state Rep. David Phelps takes over for pro- life Congressman Glenn Poshard (D) in Illinois. Poshard had given up his seat in an unsuccessful attempt for governor.
Pro-life Lee Terry (R) of Nebraska won an easy victory over pro- abortion TV anchorman Michael Scott. Terry will replace pro-life Congressman John Christensen (R), who lost a Republican primary for governor.
In New York, two pro-life assemblymen were elected to Congress, replacing two retiring pro-life members of Congress. Democrat Joseph Crowley will replace Congressman Tom Manton (D), while Republican Tom Reynolds will succeed Congressman Bill Paxon (R).
Pro-life Mike Simpson (R), speaker of the Idaho House of Representatives, becomes the new U.S. House member from the second district of Idaho, replacing pro-life Rep. Mike Crapo. Crapo (R) was successful in his Senate bid, defeating pro- abortion Bill Mauk, former chairman of the state Democratic party.
The Senate seat had been held by pro-life Republican Dirk Kempthorne, the newly elected governor of Idaho. Kempthorne succeeds the retiring pro-abortion Republican governor, Phil Batt.
Unfortunately, three pro-life members of Congress were defeated by pro-abortion opponents. Bill Redmond (R) of New Mexico, Vince Snowbarger (R) of Kansas, and Mike Pappas (R) of New Jersey were all freshmen seeking a second term.
Governors
Pro-lifers had a net gain of one in governors. While three pro- life seats were lost, four were picked up. Pro-life governors David Beasley (R-SC) and Fob James (R-Al.) were defeated by pro- abortion opponents. Also, retiring pro-life Gov. Terry Branstad (R) will be replaced by pro-abortion state Sen. Tom Vilsack (D). Vilsack ran an aggressive campaign, winning out over pro-life former Republican Congressman Jim Ross Lightfoot.
But pro-life gains were made in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, and Idaho. State Treasurer Bill Owens (R) defeated pro-abortion Lt. Gov. Gail Schoettler (D) to take the governor's seat in Colorado.
Florida's next governor will be pro-life businessman Jeb Bush (R) who defeated pro-abortion Lt. Gov. Buddy McKay (D). Jeb Bush narrowly lost a gubernatorial bid in 1994 and came back strong this year, winning 55% of the vote. His brother, pro-life Gov. George W. Bush, was overwhelmingly re-elected in Texas with 69% of the vote. Both Jeb and George W. are sons of pro-life former President George Bush.
In Idaho and Illinois, retiring pro-abortion Republican governors were replaced with pro-life Republican governors. U.S. Sen. Dirk Kempthorne will take over as Idaho governor, following his victory over pro-abortion former state Supreme Court Judge Robert Huntley (D). Pro-life Illinois Secretary of State George Ryan (R) will become the new governor of Illinois to replace pro- abortion Gov. Jim Edgar (R). Ryan was successful in his bid, defeating pro-life Congressman Glenn Poshard (D).
Polling
Once again post-election polling revealed that there is a net electoral advantage for candidates who oppose abortion.
Overall, National Right to Life PAC was involved in 106 House and Senate races. A nationwide Wirthlin Worldwide poll of voters found that 15% of the respondents said that they could recall hearing or seeing advertising or receiving information from National Right to Life PAC.
Continuing a trend that is evident in every election, the Wirthlin poll found that pro-lifers once again "out-vote" their opponents. The poll showed that 22% of all voters said abortion affected the way they voted. Of those, 59% (13% of all voters) voted for candidates who oppose abortion while 41% (9% of all voters) voted for candidates who favor abortion, a net advantage of 4%.
Even though Al D'Amato lost his bid for re-election, a CNN exit poll showed that 7% of all voters in New York selected abortion as their top issue. D'Amato received 58% of that vote compared to 42% for Schumer.
The polling numbers were astounding in Wisconsin. Data showed that 20% of all voters polled said abortion was their top issue. Pro-life Rep. Mark Neumann (R), who lost an extremely close race to pro-abortion U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold (D), received 82% of that vote, compared to 17% who voted for Feingold. Unfortunately, Feingold was able to pull enough votes on other issues to put him over the top. Feingold also received the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of dollars of free advertising donated by newspapers and TV networks that loved his vigorous support of so-called "campaign finance" reform legislation that would stifle the free speech of pro-life groups on the positions and voting records of members of Congress and other candidates.Over the course of election cycles, ups and downs are to be expected. In a very difficult year, pro-lifers made the difference in some key races. We are determined never to give up until innocent human life is once again respected and protected.