Republicans selected former Rep. Pete Hoekstra as their nominee to challenge pro-abortion Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow in November in one of the battleground races pro-life advocates hope to win to take back the Senate from pro-abortion Democrats.
Hoekstra led businessman Clark Durant (R) by 54 percent to 33 percent at the time AP called the race for him.
Hoekstra will clearly be the underdog in the race, that favors Stabenow, but pro-life groups will work hard to ensure he has the best chance possible to beat the abortion advocate. The Hill provides more background on the race.
“The former congressman started out the race as the clear front-runner, well known statewide after an unsuccessful run for governor two years ago and with a strong political base in his old congressional district in Western Michigan, the most conservative part of the state,” it reported. “Stabenow starts off as the heavy favorite in the general election. She holds a double-digit lead in recent polls and has a big cash advantage, with more than $4.5 million in the bank to $1 million for Hoekstra as of the last campaign report filing in mid-July.”
On abortion, the contrast between Debbie Stabenow and her Republican challengers could not be starker. Stabenow earned a 0% rating from the National Right to Life Committee for her entire Senate career. Stabenow even opposed the ban on the horrific practice of partial-birth abortion. Recently, Stabenow voted for the pro-abortion Obama healthcare law, for federal funding for Planned Parenthood and against conscience protections. Stabenow has also earned the support of the pro-abortion group EMILY’s List. The group’s website praises Stabenow, calling her a “committed defender of reproductive freedom” having “fought to expand access to family planning.” EMILY’s List also asserts Stabenow has been working to pass legislation like Obamacare for decades.
Conversely, former Rep. Pete Hoekstra earned a 100% rating from the National Right to Life Committee. In his last term in the US House, Hoekstra voted for the pro-life Stupak-Pitts Amendment and ultimately against the pro-abortion Obama healthcare bill. Unlike Stabenow, Hoekstra did vote to protect unborn children from partial-birth abortion. He also stood strong against embryo-destructive research and taxpayer funding of abortion domestically and overseas. Clark Durant and Randy Hekman have also stated they hold pro-life positions.
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Stabenow entered the Senate after unseating incumbent Republican Sen. Spence Abraham in 2000.
