Important Congressional Races on the November Ballot
By Carol Tobias, NRL PAC Director

Much attention, all of it richly deserved, is being given to the presidential race, the battle between pro-life Texas Governor George Bush and pro-abortion Vice President Al Gore. However, many other very important races will be contested in the November 7 elections.

Every seat in the U.S. House of Representatives all 435 and one- third of the seats in the U.S. Senate are up for election. Following are just some of the competitive races to be decided next month.

Several first-term pro-life senators, elected in 1994, are facing tough re-election battles.

John Ashcroft (R-Mo.) is being challenged by Missouri's pro-abortion Governor Mel Carnahan (D). Carnahan showed his radicalism by vetoing a bill to ban partial-birth abortion. His veto was overridden with bi-partisan support in the legislature. The race has seesawed back and forth all summer and is considered too close to call. A recent poll showed Ashcroft with a 45%-43% lead.

Pro-life Minnesota Senator Rod Grams (R) is facing a formidable challenge from pro-abortion millionaire Mark Dayton (D). Although Dayton, a former state auditor, has lost two statewide races, he is expected to put much of his personal fortune into the race. Dayton supports keeping partial-birth abortion legal and tax funding of abortion. In Michigan, pro-life Senator Spence Abraham (R) is fending off a challenge from pro-abortion Congresswoman Debbie Stabenow (D). Abraham is the primary sponsor of the Child Custody Protection Act. Stabenow has voted in the House to allow partial-birth abortions to continue and in favor of tax funding of abortion. Stabenow has been endorsed by EMILY's List, which helps pro- abortion Democratic women candidates. The criteria for support from EMILY's List is now so extreme that it refuses to support some pro-abortion Democratic women in Congress because they voted to limit tax funding of abortion or voted for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. Although the Michigan Senate race had been close for many months, Abraham has begun to take a slight lead.

The race to replace Stabenow in the U.S. House pits two members of the state legislature against one another. The contest between pro-life state Senator Mike Rogers (R) and pro-abortion state Senator Dianne Byrum (D) is practically a carbon copy of the Senate race. Rogers voted for Michigan's ban on partial-birth abortions while Byrum voted to keep the technique legal. All expectations were that pro-life Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum (R) would face an uphill battle to win a second term. However, after winning a strongly contested primary this spring, pro-life Congressman Ron Klink (D) has not been able to mount a strong campaign to this point.

Meanwhile, Klink's Senate bid opened up his House seat. This highly competitive contest features pro-life state Senator Melissa Hart (R) against pro-abortion state Rep. Terry Van Horne (D). Although the district tilts Democratic, Hart is currently leading. Open seats in Florida and Nevada show clear contrasts between the candidates. In Florida, pro-life Congressman Bill McCollum (R) is battling pro-abortion state Insurance Commissioner Bill Nelson (D) for the seat vacated by the retirement of pro-life Senator Connie Mack (R). In Nevada, pro-life former Congressman John Ensign (R) is seeking the seat of retiring pro-abortion Senator Richard Bryan (D). Ensign's Democratic opponent is pro-abortion attorney Ed Bernstein. Bernstein has turned the race almost entirely into a battle over abortion. He is running television ads denouncing Ensign for his opposition to abortion and tax funding of abortion.

In one of the most closely watched races, two-term pro-abortion Virginia Senator Charles Robb (D) is in probably the toughest fight of his political career. His challenger is former Governor George Allen (R). While Robb has a genuinely radical pro-abortion voting record - - he has voted against the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act and the Child Custody Protection Act, and for tax funding of abortion - - Allen will vote for these pro-life measures. Rhode Island is the only Senate contest showcasing a pro-life Democrat and pro-abortion Republican. Pro-life Congressman Bob Weygand (D) is taking on Senator Lincoln Chafee (R).

Chafee was appointed to fill the position earlier this year after his father, pro-abortion Senator John Chafee, passed away. Weygand defeated a tough pro-abortion opponent in the Democratic primary in September and faces an uphill battle against Chafee, whose father enjoyed great popularity. Delaware is seeing the "clash of the titans." Senator Bill Roth served four years in the U.S. House before being elected to the Senate in 1970. He has held statewide office longer than anyone in Delaware's history. Roth is being challenged by pro-abortion governor and former Congressman Tom Carper, who has held elected office since 1977.

Roth voted for the ban on partial-birth abortion, voted against tax funding of abortion, and voted for the Child Custody Protection Act. Carper supports abortion on demand and tax funding of abortion.

In Washington, Senator Slade Gorton (R) is facing a strong challenge from pro-abortion former Congresswoman Maria Cantwell (D). Cantwell spent over $5 million of her own money to win the primary and is expected to dip into her personal fortune for the general election as well. Like Roth, Gorton also voted against partial-birth abortion, voted against tax funding of abortion, and voted for the Child Custody Protection Act.

In two states, New York and New Jersey, the Republican candidates - - Rick Lazio and Bob Franks - - are currently in the House of Representatives. Both Lazio and Franks call themselves "pro-choice," but they voted to ban partial-birth abortion, voted against tax funding of abortion, and voted for the Child Custody Protection Act. Their Democratic opponents, Hillary Rodham Clinton in New York and former investment banker John Corzine in New Jersey, respectively, support unlimited abortion on demand. They both support legal partial-birth abortion, tax funding of abortion on demand, and they oppose parental notification requirements. Clinton and Corzine have made it very clear that they will oppose any and all limits on abortion. Several open House seats also present pro-life/pro-abortion contrasts. Oklahoma's 2nd district, currently held by pro-life Congressman Tom Coburn, who is retiring, features a race between pro-life car dealer Andy Ewing (R) and pro-abortion attorney Brad Carson (D).

Washington Congressman Jack Metcalf is also retiring. His second district seat is a close contest between pro-life state Rep. John Koster (R) and pro-abortion county councilman Rick Larsen (D).

Retiring Congresswoman Pat Danner (D), who represented Missouri's 6th district, compiled a voting record that leaned pro-life. Her son, former state Rep. Steve Danner, is the Democratic nominee for the seat.

Danner supports abortion on demand. The Republican nominee is pro-life state Senator Sam Graves.

In Ohio's 12th congressional district, pro-life Congressman John Boehner (R) is retiring. His seat is being contested by pro-life state Rep. Pat Tiberi (R) and pro-abortion city council member Mary Ellen O'Shaughnessy (D), who is endorsed by EMILY's List. Montana's lone House seat is open because pro-life Rep. Rick Hill is retiring. Pro-life former Lt. Governor Dennis Rehberg (R) is running a strong campaign for the seat against pro-abortion Nancy Keenan (D), Montana's superintendent of public instruction. Keenan has also been endorsed by EMILY's List.

Pro-life Republican Congressman Ernie Fletcher (Kentucky, 6) is being challenged by his predecessor, pro-abortion former Democratic Congressman Scotty Baesler. In 1998, Baesler vacated his seat to run for the Senate, but was defeated by Congressman Jim Bunning (R), who is pro-life. After a two-year break, Baesler is again seeking the House seat. Other pro-life incumbents, all Republican, facing strong challenges from pro-abortion opponents include Robert Aderholt (Alabama, 4), Jay Dickey (Arkansas, 4), Jim Rogan (California, 27), Bob Barr (Georgia, 7), Anne Northup (Kentucky, 3), Pete Sessions (Texas, 5), and Tom Tancredo (Colorado, 6).

Some pro-abortion incumbents are also facing tough reelection battles against pro-life challengers. In California's 20th district, pro-abortion Rep. Cal Dooley (D) is fighting for political survival against a former television newsman, pro-life Rich Rodriguez (R).

Pro-abortion Rep. Bill Luther (D), in Minnesota's 6th district, is facing pro-life John Kline (R). Kline, a retired Marine and former military aide to President Ronald Reagan, ran against Luther in 1998. Heavily out funded, Kline received 46% of the vote to Luther's 50% and is running strong again this year. In Illinois's 17th congressional district, pro-abortion Congressman Lane Evans (D) is facing pro-life Mark Baker (R), a former TV anchor. Baker ran against Evans in 1996 and 1998, holding Evans to 52% both times. In the 3rd district of Kansas, pro-life state Rep. Phill Kline (R) is mounting a strong challenge to pro-abortion Congressman Dennis Moore (D). Pro-abortion Democratic Congresswoman Corrine Brown (FL, 3) is facing a surprisingly tough challenge from pro-life retired naval officer Jennifer Carroll. Carroll has out-raised Brown throughout the year, and is on track to defeating the four-term incumbent.