By Carol Tobias
NRL PAC Director
While all eyes will be on the presidential election come November 2, there are many "down-ballot" races critical to the future of abortion and the lives of unborn children.
While 34 states will elect one senator this year, only about a dozen have highly contested races. Also, while all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for election, only a handful are expected to be close.
SENATE
Eight senators are not running for re-election. They include pro-life senators Zell Miller (D-Ga.), Peter Fitzgerald (R-Il.), John Breaux (D-La.), and Don Nickles (R-Ok.), and pro-abortion senators Bob Graham (D-Fl.), Ernest Hollings (D-SC), and John Edwards (D-NC), who is John Kerry's vice presidential running mate. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Co.), who supports Roe v. Wade but has a mostly pro-life voting record, is retiring after serving three terms.
For the Colorado seat, pro-life businessman Pete Coors (R) is facing off against pro-abortion Attorney General Ken Salazar (D). This race is one of the closest of the year with the outcome truly unknown. Warren Hern, an abortionist from Boulder known for developing methods used in second- and third-trimester abortions, has donated $1,000 to Salazar.
Voters in Florida will decide between pro-life Mel Martinez (R), who served as secretary of housing and urban development under President George W. Bush, and pro-abortion Betty Castor (D), former state education commissioner. Castor has been endorsed by EMILY's List, a pro-abortion organization that raises money for Democratic women candidates who support abortion on demand, partial-birth abortion, and tax funding of abortion. EMILY's List reports that it has raised more than $1 million for Castor.
Another hotly contested race will be in Oklahoma, where pro-abortion Congressman Brad Carson (D) who does not support overturning Roe v. Wade, and pro-life former Congressman Tom Coburn (R) are battling. Coburn represented the Second Congressional District from 1994 to 2000. He did not run for re-election and the congressional seat went to Carson. Carson supports legal abortion but is trying to downplay his position in this heavily pro-life state.
John Edwards' open seat in North Carolina finds pro-abortion Erskine Bowles (D) seeking a Senate seat for a second time.
In 2002 Bowles lost to pro-life Elizabeth Dole (R) and is currently engaged in a battle with pro-life Congressman Richard Burr (R). Bowles was chief of staff to President Bill Clinton and, in that position, lobbied Congress against the Child Custody Protection Act.
That bill would make it a federal offense to transport a minor across state lines for a secret abortion, if this circumvents the right of her parents to be notified or have consent under the law of their home state. lt has passed the House several times but has been blocked in the Senate.
In South Carolina, pro-life Congressman Jim DeMint (R) has been holding a lead to win the open Hollings seat, but faces a tough challenge from pro-abortion Inez Tenenbaum (D), state superintendent of education and previously a lobbyist for a pro-abortion group. Tenenbaum has also been endorsed by EMILY's List, which has funneled more than $400,000 into her campaign.
In Georgia, Congressman Johnny Isakson (R), who has a mostly pro-life voting record, is expected to succeed retiring pro-life Senator Zell Miller (D). Isakson's opponent is pro-abortion Congresswoman Denise Majette (D).
In Illinois, pro-lifer Alan Keyes (R) is running against pro-abortion state Senator Barack Obama (D) to replace retiring pro-life Senator Peter Fitzgerald (R).
Several candidates are seeking to replace retiring Louisiana Senator John Breaux. Under that state's system, all candidates run on the November 2 ballot. If no candidate gets more than 50%, the top two vote-getters will go into a December 4 run-off election.
The leading contenders are pro-life Congressmen David Vitter (R) and Chris John (D), and pro-life state Treasurer Brian Kennedy (R).
Perhaps the Senate race generating the most excitement is taking place in South Dakota. Pro-abortion Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D) is facing a tough challenge from pro-life former Congressman John Thune (R).
Thune ran against South Dakota's other senator, pro-abortion Tim Johnson (D) in 2002, and lost by only 524 votes. This year could be every bit as close, with polls showing that either candidate could win.
Daschle, who usually isn't vocal and upfront about his pro-abortion position, raised eyebrows when he made an e-mail fundraising pitch for NARAL just prior to the 2002 election. He wrote, "Rarely has so much been at stake for a woman's right to choose in a U.S. Senate election. If you and thousands of other pro-choice Americans like you don't act today by giving to NARAL's Save the Senate Campaign, the U.S. Senate could fall into anti-choice hands on November 6th - - the first day after the election."
In Washington, pro-life Congressman George Nethercutt (R) is challenging pro-abortion Senator Patty Murray (D). Although Murray has held a steady lead throughout the campaign, polls have shown the race is getting closer with a month to go.
In Alaska, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R) is being challenged by pro-abortion Tony Knowles (D). While Murkowski doesn't agree with NRLC on every issue, she has an 82% pro-life voting record.
Knowles, the former governor, opposes any restrictions on abortion and vetoed several pieces of pro-life legislation, including one that required parental consent before an abortion is performed on a girl under 17. He was endorsed by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and helped to dedicate its new abortion facility in Anchorage earlier this year.
Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, pro-life businessman Tim Michels (R) won a September Republican primary and will take on pro-abortion Senator Russ Feingold (D).
Pro-life Missouri Senator Kit Bond (R) is matched up against pro-abortion state Treasurer Nancy Farmer (D). Farmer is receiving help from EMILY's List, but, so far, polls show that she isn't having much success turning this into a close race.
Other races have pro-lifers Mike Liffrig (R) and Jim Holt (R) running against pro-abortion Senators Byron Dorgan (ND) and Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), respectively. California's pro-life Secretary of State Bill Jones (R) is taking on pro-abortion Senator Barbara Boxer (D).
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Due to redistricting and the popularity of certain candidates, there are only a handful of races in which the results cannot be predicted prior to election day.
Two seats are open in Washington. Rep. Jennifer Dunn (R) is retiring and George Nethercutt (R) is running for the Senate. In the race to replace Dunn, pro-life county sheriff Dave Reichert (R) faces pro-abortion radio talk show host Dave Ross (D).
Pro-life state Representative Cathy McMorris (R) hopes to succeed Nethercutt by defeating pro-abortion businessman Don Barbieri (D).
In California, pro-abortion Rep. Cal Dooley (D) is retiring. In this Democratic-leaning district, pro-life state Senator Roy Ashburn (R) is hoping to pull an upset by defeating pro-abortion former state Senator Jim Costa (D).
It was a great day for pro-lifers when pro-abortion leader Rep. Jim Greenwood (R) of Pennsylvania announced his retirement. Pro-life county commissioner Mike Fitzpatrick (R) is seeking to replace him, but must first defeat pro-abortion attorney Virginia Schrader (D).
Another open House seat matches pro-life Greg Walcher (R), director of Colorado's Department of Natural Resources, against pro-abortion state Rep. John Salazar (D). Salazar is the brother of Attorney General Ken Salazar, who is running for the Senate.
Several pro-life incumbents, elected in 2002, are fighting for their seats against pro-abortion challengers. These include Rick Renzi (R) of Arizona, Bob Beauprez (R) of Colorado, Max Burns of Georgia (R), John Kline of Minnesota (R), Jon Porter of Nevada (R), and Jim Gerlach (R) of Pennsylvania.
Members of Congress with pro-life records who have tough races every election cycle but who have pulled through by narrow margins include Republicans Anne Northup of Kentucky, John Hostettler of Indiana, Heather Wilson of New Mexico, and Phil Crane of Illinois.
Several pro-life members who will be new to Congress will be elected with little or no opposition. They include Republicans Mike Conaway and Mike McCaul of Texas, Tom Price and Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia, Dan Lipinski of Illinois, Dan Lungren of California, Virginia Foxx and Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, and Bob Inglis of South Carolina.
Lungren and Inglis are former members of Congress. Inglis is unchallenged for his old seat.
GOVERNORS
Several candidates running for governor will likely be holding their breath until returns come in election night. In Indiana, pro-life former Office of Management and Budget director Mitch Daniels (R) is in a heated contest with pro-abortion Governor Joe Kernan (D).
The next governor of Missouri will be either pro-life Secretary of State Matt Blunt (R) or pro-abortion state Auditor Clare McCaskill (D). Montanans are choosing between pro-life Secretary of State Bob Brown (R) and pro-abortion rancher Brian Schweitzer (D). In Washington the alternatives are pro-life state Senator Dino Rossi (R) and pro-abortion Attorney General Christine Gregoire (D).
North Dakota's pro-life governor, John Hoeven (R), squares off against pro-abortion former state Senator Joe Satrom (D).
In North Carolina, state Senator Patrick Ballantine (R) seeks to unseat pro-abortion incumbent Mike Easley (D).
With so many races on the ballot this year, please remember to vote!