When my children were little, we always looked for "signs of spring." Spring has certainly sprung! In addition to the birds, the flowers and the cherry blossoms, primary elections and filing deadlines have arrived.

As they unfold, we begin to see a snapshot of what the November elections will bring.

On March 7, a critical Democratic primary election took place in Texas' 28th Congressional District between incumbent pro-life Congressman Henry Cuellar and former pro-abortion Congressman Ciro Rodriguez. In 2004, Mr. Cuellar narrowly defeated then Congressman Rodriguez by the slimmest of margins--58 votes.

The 2006 rematch was expected to be a nailbiter. Fortunately, it was not as dramatic. With the support of National Right to Life PAC Congressman Cuellar won with 53% of the vote to Ciro Rodriguez's 41%. Rodriguez received tremendous support from pro-abortion organizations such as Moveon.org.

Based on the March 21 Illinois primary elections, we will have several pro-life v. pro-abortion races in the November general election. In the Sixth Congressional District, pro-life candidate Peter Roskam (R) will face pro-abortion candidate Tammy Duckworth (D). This is the district from which pro-life champion Congressman Henry Hyde will retire after serving 32 years in Congress.

In Illinois' Eighth Congressional District, pro-life candidate David McSweeney (R) will face pro-abortion Rep. Melissa Bean (D) who has been endorsed by Emily's List. Emily's List only supports pro-abortion Democrat candidates who allow no limitations on abortion.

Fortunately, as we go into this election season, a Zogby poll conducted from March 10-14, 2006, revealed that most of the respondents took pro-life positions on questions asked on the abortion issue. The poll included over 30,000 respondents from 48 states.

When asked whether the U.S. Senate should confirm only pro-choice Supreme Court justices, only 18% agreed with the statement, while 71% disagreed. When asked if they favored filibustering Supreme Court nominees because of their position on abortion, 59% opposed it while 28% agreed with that approach.

Most respondents agreed with parental notification laws for girls age sixteen and under (69% to 23%) and girls age eighteen and under (55% to 36%). When asked if abortion ends a human life, 59% while only 29% disagreed. Sixty-nine percent agree that federal funds for abortions abroad should be prohibited (21% disagree). And a whopping 86% believe abortion for sex selection should be illegal (10% disagree).

A majority of respondents agree in requiring that a woman should be counseled about her options before having an abortion, a 24-hour waiting period, and a new federal partial-birth abortion ban (if one were proposed). Likewise, 64% agree that a person who kills a pregnant woman should be charged with two murders.

A majority of respondents would not use federal or state funds to pay for abortions for poor women, and most do not believe insurance plans should be required to cover abortions when the life of the mother is not endangered. Fifty percent believes life begins at conception, 9 percent at three months, 8 percent at six months, 19 percent at birth, and 14 percent were not sure.

Unfortunately, the abortion lobby continues to peddle the myth that women are "pro-choice," even though polls such as the March 2006 Zogby poll show that more Americans take a pro-life position than a "pro-choice" position.

Pro-life women have an opportunity to demonstrate to our country and to our elected officials that abortion is harmful to women, and that we need to pass pro-life legislation. Pro-life women are being called to Washington, D.C. to participate in the second annual REAL Women's Voices Lobbying Day on Wednesday, April 26, 2006. National Right to Life is one of several groups sponsoring this historic event.

A $25.00 registration fee includes a training breakfast where attendees will learn about key issues such as embryonic stem cell research, a ban on Human Cloning, the Child Custody Protection Act, and judicial nominees. The breakfast will be followed by meetings with U.S. Senators. The day will conclude with a reception for the women lobbyists, leaders of the sponsoring groups, and invited pro-life members of Congress.

To register, or for additional information, visit our website at www.nrlc.org. The REAL Women's Voices link is on the upper left side of the web page.