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NRL News
Unbowed
Pro-Lifers Look to the Future As Dr. David N. O’Steen’s article on page one explains in detail, while the results of the November 7 elections were very disappointing, it is equally true that because of the great work of pro-lifers, many candidates who otherwise would have lost were saved. It is always better to light a candle than curse the darkness, and this article will illuminate some of the great results made possible thanks to your untiring efforts. The National Right to Life Political Action Committee (NRL PAC) was actively involved in 87 races nationwide. In spite of larger forces that imperiled pro-life candidates, NRL PAC won 53% of these contests. But closer analysis reveals just how well NRL PAC did when it went “head-to-head” in races against 18 EMILY’s List candidates running for the U.S. House. EMILY’s List is a pro-abortion political action committee which only backs candidates who support abortion on demand, partial-birth abortion, and tax funding of abortion. (See the June 2006 NRL News.) EMILY’s List had an incredible amount of money. As of October 18, EMILY’s List had already raised more than $30 million for the 2006 election effort. Despite EMILY’s List’s ability to raise massive amounts of money, National Right to Life Political Action Committee won 14 of 18 of the races against EMILY’s List candidates. National Right to Life polling indicates that among those voters who consider abortion when voting, the pro-life candidate realizes approximately a two to one pro-life advantage. (See related article on page one.) The pro-life advantage made the difference in at least 15 close U.S. House races in which the pro-life candidate won by less than three percentage points. The pro-life advantage was abundantly evident in Tennessee’s tight U.S. Senate race which featured pro-life Bob Corker (R) against pro-abortion Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. (D). The pro-life movement suffered the loss of five pro-life leaders in the U.S. Senate: Senators Rick Santorum (Pennsylvania), Mike DeWine (Ohio), Jim Talent (Missouri), George Allen (Virginia), and Conrad Burns (Montana). But the good news is that while stinging, these losses need not be permanent, nor insurmountable. In Virginia and Montana’s close U.S. Senate races, the pro-life incumbents lost by about three votes per precinct! Montana Senator Conrad Burns and Virginia Senator George Allen both lost their bids for re-election by less than one percentage point. In Missouri’s close U.S. Senate race where the race was lost by three percentage points, Senator Jim Talent lost by about 12 votes per precinct. The 110th Congress will welcome many freshmen pro-lifers into the U.S. House of Representatives. In Illinois 6th Congressional District, left open by the retirement of pro-life champion Henry Hyde, Peter Roskam (R) defeated pro-abortion candidate Tammy Duckworth (D). And in Ohio’s 6th Congressional District, Charlie Wilson (D) is replacing pro-abortion Congressman Ted Strickland (D). Also in Ohio, Jim Jordan (R) won Ohio’s 4th Congressional District formerly held by pro-life Congressman Mike Oxley. A number of pro-life women were re-elected to the U.S. House. Among them are Congresswomen Marilyn Musgrave (Colorado 4), Cathy McMorris (Washington 5), Barbara Cubin (Wyoming At-large), and Jean Schmidt (Ohio 2). Newly elected members include Michele Bachmann (Minnesota 6) and Mary Fallin (Oklahoma 5). There are many more pro-life freshmen to get to know during the 110th Congress: Doug Lamborn (Colorado 5), Gus Bilirakis (Florida 9), Vern Buchanan (Florida 13), Bill Sali (Idaho 1), Tim Walberg (Michigan 7), and Adrian Smith (Nebraska 3). There were intriguing developments in several U.S House races. In Texas’s 23rd Congressional District, due to a court decision involving redistricting, pro-life Congressman Henry Bonilla (R) will face pro-abortion former Congressman Ciro Rodriguez (D) in a December runoff. In several other cases, procedural hurdles doomed strong pro-life candidates. For instance, in Texas’s 22nd District, because of a court ruling, pro-life Republican Shelley Sekula Gibbs’s name was not on the ballot. Voters had to write her name in. Remarkably, she won the special election to fill out the remaining few weeks of former Congressman Tom DeLay’s term. However, Sekula Gibbs lost the election for the full two-year term. If she chooses to run again in 2008, she would be a formidable candidate. Because of Florida’s quirky election laws, citizens who wanted to vote for pro-life Republican candidate Joe Negron in Florida’s 16th District actually had to vote for former Congressman Mark Foley, who had resigned. Negron lost, but ran an impressive campaign. In yet another race, pro-life Republican candidate Joy Padgett in Ohio’s 18th District had only two months to run for office to replace Congressman Bob Ney, who resigned. These were difficult obstacles to overcome. But pro-lifers are in this for the long haul. We were faithful during this election cycle and will continue to be in the future. We must and we will encourage family and friends to renew their commitment to unborn babies and those who cannot care for themselves. |