Washington State Governor and Senate Races Top for Pro-Life Advocates 
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by Maria Vitale Galagher
LifeNews.com Staff Writer
October 15, 2004
LifeNews.com Note: This is the eighth in a series of articles covering the 2004 elections state by state from the pro-life viewpoint.
Olympia, WA (LifeNews.com) — The debate over embryonic stem cell research has become an issue in Washington state’s gubernatorial contest.
Republican Dino Rossi, who opposes abortion, is taking Democrat Christine Gregoire to task for trying to boost the biotech industry, which looks on embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) as a potential moneymaker.
Gregoire has proposed using $500 million from the state’s tobacco settlement as seed money for ESCR experiments.
During a recent televised debate, Rossi suggested Gregoire’s interest in ESCR was strictly political.
"I believe it’s more of a political ploy than anything else," Rossi said. He added that the former Attorney General has been exaggerating the number of new jobs her biotech plan would create.
Gregoire has gone so far as to say that ESCR could be the "penicillin for the 21st century." She’s predicted the proposal would lead to 70,000 new jobs–but Rossi said it’s more likely the plan would result in only about 700 jobs.
As far as abortion is concerned, Rossi has said that he “believes every soul has value" and should be reserved for very rare cases.
Meanwhile, in Washington’s U.S. Senate race, pro-abortion Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat, faces a challenge from pro-life Republican George Nethercutt. Nethercutt won a seat in the U.S. House in 1994, beating then-Speaker of the House Tom Foley. His victory represented the first defeat of a sitting Speaker since 1860.
Before his bid for Congress, Nethercutt served as a family attorney who assisted couples hoping to adopt children.
On his campaign website, Nethercutt states, "I believe we must do more to reduce the number of abortions in America. That’s why I was proud to help outlaw late-term abortions."
According to National Right to Life, Nethercutt has voted ten times against partial-birth abortion. In contrast, Murray has voted seven times to keep partial-birth abortion legal. Murray also supports taxpayer-funded abortions.
Meanwhile, Nethercutt supported Laci and Conner’s Law — legislation that ensures that an unborn child is classified as a crime victim when a crime of violence is committed against a pregnant woman.
While the Senate candidate says he will not use litmus tests for judicial nominees, he is expected to support President George W. Bush’s pro-life nominees to federal courts.
Nethercutt also sees adoption as a viable alternative for women facing an unexpected pregnancy.
"As Senator, I will use my experience to make it easier for good couples to adopt children," Nethercutt said. He added, “To reduce the number of abortions in America, we must change hearts and minds."
Related web sites:
George Nethercutt – https://www.nethercuttforsenate.com
Human Life of Washington Voters’ Guide: https://www.humanlife.net/humanlifepac.html
Dino Rossi – https://www.dinorossi.com
Washington Pro-Life Voters’ Guide – https://www.wevoteprolife.com/washington.htm
