California Pro-Life Group to Endorse Carly Fiorina in Republican Senate Primary
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 4, 2010
Sacramento, CA (LifeNews.com) — The California Pro-Life Council, the state affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee, will endorse Republican U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina. CPLC joins the pro-life women’s group Susan B. Anthony List in backing the businesswoman over pro-life state legislator Chuck DeVore.
Although both DeVore and Fiorina take a pro-life stance, the latter is seen as having a better chance by the pro-life groups of capturing the GOP nomination and defeating pro-abortion Sen. Barbara Boxer.
CPLC board member Mike Spence said the main reason for endorsing Fiorina is her ability to defeat Boxer.
"Our duty is to elect pro-life candidates. The word elect is as important as the word pro-life," Spence said.
Spence worries that Devote and Fiorina will split the pro-life vote in the state and pave the way for pro-abortion former congressman Tom Campbell to get the GOP nomination — so CPLC believes pro-life advocates need to line up behind one candidate to ensure a pro-life advocate captures the nomination to face Boxer.
Brian Johnston, the head of the California pro-life group, elaborated on the endorsement in comments to the San Francisco Chronicle, saying Fiorina "had the resources to win."
"It’s difficult to go into battle if you don’t have the resources. And we felt that Chuck does not have them," Johnston said. "We had to look at this in a realpolitik way."
Johnston said CPLC was impressed that Fiorina emerged from the culture at Hewlitt Packard with her pro-life views still intact.
Team Fiorina’s Amy Thoma told the newspaper the Senate candidate is happy to accept the endorsement.
"This is more confirmation that Carly is the conservative in this race who can beat Barbara Boxer," she said. "Carly is honored to receive their endorsement and shares their commitment to the rights of women and the unborn."
DeVore spokesperson Joshua Trevino responded by telling the Chronicle,
"It’s a bit self-delusional to say that ‘She can win.’ It might be nice if she had a lead in the polls. All that Carly Fiorina has shown she can win is second place."
"He has a 100 percent pro-life, pro-family rating from the Capitol Resource Institute — and multiple 100 percent ratings from the California Republican Assembly to his credit," he said of Devore.
SBA List president Marjorie Dannenfelser told LifeNews.com her group is excited to weigh in on the race.
"We’ve been waiting for Carly Fiorina for a long time–in fact, since the day Barbara Boxer was elected to the U.S. Senate," she said. "Senator Boxer is one of the most aggressive champions of abortion rights and is endorsed by EMILY’s List."
Although there has been some question from the quarters of Republican primary opponent Chuck DeVore about Fiorina’s pro-life credentials, Dannenfelser confirms the businesswoman is pro-life.
"From a pro-woman, pro-life perspective, there could be no greater contrast. She embraces and advances the rights of women and unborn children, following in the footsteps of the earliest women in politics," she said. "Susan B. Anthony and the early feminists understood, as Carly Fiorina does, that undermining the rights of one never advances the rights of another."
The California Republican primary election is June 8 and the will challenge the 18-year incumbent in the November election.
Boxer has not hit the important 50 percent mark in any polls taken concerning the California Senate race since March.
Boxer leads by an average of 45-41.3 percent against Fiorina in an average of four recent polls, by a 44-43 percent margin against Campbell, and by a 45.5-39.8 percent margin against DeVore.
Related web sites:
California Pro-Life Council – https://www.californiaprolife.org
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