Republicans, Pro-Life Candidates Win 20 State Houses; Abortion Implications

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Nov 3, 2010   |   3:25PM   |   Washington, DC

Republicans captured control of 20 state legislative bodies as pro-life candidates won elections in state after state. The results have huge abortion implications and make it so more pro-life laws stopping abortions can be passed.

Crucial to upcoming redistricting efforts that make such a huge difference in control of Congress and state legislatures, GOP candidates won control of six state legislatures.

Republicans took control of both houses in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Alabama, Michigan and Wisconsin — paving the way for more pro-life legislation in each of the states.

Legislative bodies won include the Montana House, New Hampshire House, Indiana House, North Carolina House, Colorado House, Maine Senate, and the Iowa House.

Meanwhile, state pro-life groups say their candidates fared very well on election night.

Eight pro-life candidates for Congress endorsed by the Virginia Society for Human Life PAC won their elections and another race is too close to call.

Two of the successful pro-life challengers, Robert Hurt and Scott Rigell, soundly defeated first term incumbents who favored federally funded abortion in Obamacare and, in an upset, pro-life Morgan Griffith defeated pro-abortion Rep. Rick Boucher in the 9th district.

“Pro-life efforts helped to turn the race against a 28 year incumbent who opposed all meaningful efforts to protect innocent human life,” the group said.  “VSHLPAC ran television ads throughout the final weekend and completed tens of thousands of get-out-the-vote calls to educate voters about where the candidates stood on life issues.  The message clearly resonated with pro-life voters throughout the region.”

In Ohio, pro-life candidates swept each and every statewide office.

“Five, ORTL PAC Congressional candidates defeated incumbents who voted for Obamacare,” Mike Gonidakis of Ohio Right to Life told LifeNews.com.

“We are also proud to announce that one of our own, Congressman John Boehner, will be the next Speaker of the US House of Representatives. It is about time that a pro-life Speaker holds the gavel,” he said.

Susan Armacost, Legislative/PAC Director of Wisconsin Right to Life, said pro-life candidates in her state also enjoyed a strong election day.

“Victories at the state level are monumental,” she said. “Not only do we have a right-to-life Governor and Attorney General, but sweeping right-to-life majorities in the State Senate and Assembly.”

Ten out of 13 Wisconsin Right to Life PAC endorsed State Senate candidates were successful and 59 WRTL/PAC endorsed Assembly candidates were elected with one race still to be decided.

“Overall, significant gains were made which bode well for right-to-life legislative efforts in the upcoming legislative session,” said Armacost.

In Nebraska state races, Republicans easily retained the offices of Governor (Dave Heineman), Attorney General (Jon Bruning), Auditor (Mike Foley), Secretary of State (John Gale), and State Treasurer (Don Stenberg).

And in the Nebraska Unicameral, 24 of 49 seats were in-play yesterday and challengers succeeded in toppling incumbents in several races — Lydia Brasch upended Kent Rogert in District 16 (53-47%), while Tyson Larson defeated Cap Dierks (52-48%). Pro-life candidate Mark Christensen won big in his race against former state senator Tom Baker (60-40%).

Kansas turned a historic corner Tuesday with pro-lifers winning nearly every significant state office.

The 125-member Kansas House increased its pro-life majority to 2/3 as nearly 80% of Kansans for Life-supported state representative candidates won their races.  Of the losses, 4 pro-life Republicans unseated endorsed pro-life incumbent Democrats.

The ‘Fire Beier’ campaign– started by the KFL political action committee to discourage retention of 4 Supreme Court justices –succeeded in diminishing the high approval the justices expected. However, all four justices were retained, after an extensive advertising campaign conducted at public expense, and with radio ads by pro-abortion Gov. Mark Parkinson urging their retention.

“Given the difficulty of the task, and the fact that our budget allowed only one mailer, we are pleased to see that the approval rating of the justices fell to 62-63% for all four,” the group said. “With a public confidence drop of 14-20% from only the first attempt to educate the public about activist judges, perhaps only one more campaign is all it takes to drop them below 50% and remove them.”

This was the first retention vote for Justice Biles, but in the past, retention support for Chief Justice Nuss was 82.2%,  Justice Luckert, 76.5% and Justice Beier, 76.4%.