Abortion Advocates Win Governor Bids in Virginia, New Jersey 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 9, 2005
Richmond, VA (LifeNews.com) — After a close, heated battle in Virginia, voters there chose pro-abortion Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine, a Democrat, over pro-life Republican candidate Jerry Kilgore, the former state attorney general. Kaine received 52 percent of the vote to 46 percent for Kilgore and 2 percent for pro-abortion Republican state Sen. Russell Potts, who ran as an independent.
Kaine supports some restrictions on abortion, such as parental consent and notification laws for minors seeking abortion and a ban on so-called "partial-birth" abortion, but pro-life groups went with Kilgore because of his pro-life position.
In a one-hour debate in October, Kaine said he would veto a state law banning abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
Observers say Kaine’s victory has more to do with the high approval ratings of outgoing pro-abortion Gov. Mark Warner than a commentary on how Virginia residents view abortion.
That’s also in part because pro-life candidates won races for Lt. Governor and Attorney General.
Republican Bill Bolling a state senator from Hanover County, edged Democrat Leslie Byrne in a bitterly contested race. GOP nominee Bob McDonnell, a longtime pro-life advocate, held a razor-thin lead over Democrat Creigh Deeds in the race for attorney general.
Meanwhile, in New Jersey, voters there had to decide between pro-abortion Democrat Sen. John Corzine and pro-abortion Republican candidate Doug Forrester. Both candidates also support embryonic stem cell research, though Forrester doesn’t want to use taxpayer dollars to fund it.
Corzine received 53 percent of the vote in an election that saw pro-life groups sit out because no pro-life candidate was in the mix.
After the election, Corzine pledged to aggressively promote abortion and the unproven research.
In his acceptance speech, Corzine said, "We can and we will invest in embryonic stem cell research and other forms of stem cell research that will save, restore and extend the quality of lives for our loved ones. And we can and we will defend a woman’s right to choose."
