First Pro-Life Democrat Backing Pro-Abortion Health Care Loses Seat in Congress

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   May 12, 2010   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

First Pro-Life Democrat Backing Pro-Abortion Health Care Loses Seat in Congress

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 12
, 2010

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — The first pro-life Democrat to have voted for the pro-abortion health care bill President Barack Obama signed into law has become a victim of what pro-life groups call his duplicity. Democrat Allan Mollohan of West Virginia lost a primary election Tuesday to a pro-life candidate.

The defeat ends Mollohan’s 28 years and 14 terms in the House of Representatives.

Mollohan conceded after unofficial returns showed state Sen. Mike Oliverio was ahead 56 percent to 44 percent.

Pro-life organizations, including the Susan B. Anthony List, ran campaign ads and conducted media blitzes in the congressional district saying Mollohan had betrayed his pro-life principles by backing a health care bill containing massive taxpayer funding of abortions.

Oliverio, a 46-year-old financial adviser from Morgantown, also enjoyed the endorsement of the National Right to Life Political Action Committee.

In response to Congressman Alan Mollohan’s loss, SBA List president Marjorie Dannenfelser told LifeNews.com that now he has heard pro-life groups loud and clear.

"Just as Bart Stupak did, Congressman Mollohan now fully realizes that votes do have consequences. Mollohan’s loss comes as a direct result of his vote for healthcare reform that included federal funding of abortion," she said.

"We promised Rep. Mollohan and the other ‘pro-life’ Democrats that we would make their re-election incredibly painful if they voted ‘yes’ on the healthcare bill," she continued. "Last night, the Susan B. Anthony List followed through on that promise, and Rep. Mollohan is the second member of that coalition to see those consequences."

"This should be just another sign to ‘pro-life’ Democrats that voted for the healthcare bill that they will face the same consequences as Stupak and Mollohan," Dannenfelser said.

The Susan B. Anthony List spent $78,000 in West Virginia’s first district educating voters on Congressman Mollohan’s vote for the pro-abortion health care bill with television ads, radio ads, and robo-calls.

That was part of a $1 million effort to ensure that true pro-life leaders are elected in the districts of what SBA List says are "pro-life" Democrats including Reps. Brad Ellsworth of Indiana, Steve Driehaus of Ohio and Kathy Dahlkemper of Pennsylvania.

Related web sites:
SBA List – https://www.sba-list.org
NRLC – https://www.nrlc.org

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