Texas Pro-Life Groups Endorse David Dewhurst For Senate

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Nov 17, 2011   |   1:39PM   |   Austin, TX

The two largest statewide pro-life groups in Texas have issued endorsements for Lt Governor David Dewhust in his bid for the Republican nomination for the Senate seat currently held by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

The race gives the pro-life movement a chance to replace a senator who, although she has a voting record that is mostly pro-life, does not take a pro-life position on abortion and has endorsed both Roe v. Wade and embryonic stem cell research. Dewhurst is one of several GOP candidates, including pro-life former State Solicitor General & Attorney Ted Cruz, but the two groups say Dewhurst has been a champion for pro-life efforts for years in Texas.

Texas Right to Life PAC told LifeNews that Dewhurst is “a strong and steady advocate for the pro-life cause,” and “the only candidate in this race with an unmatchable record on behalf of Texas families.”

Joseph Graham, President of Texas Right to Life, called special attention to Dewhurst’s ability to negotiate progress on pro-life issues and his success in building consensus in the Senate.

“Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst has consistently championed the rights of the unborn and the disabled, and has promoted the sanctity of innocent human life from fertilization until natural death at every opportunity,” Dr. Graham said.

Dewhurst has previously been awarded the prestigious Horizon Award by Texas Right to Life, honoring rising stars in the pro-life movement.  During Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst’s term as president of the Texas state senate, a number of measures backed by the pro-life community have been approved by the legislature and signed into law.  They included the Woman’s Right to Know Law, which provided for written, informed consent and a 24-hour waiting period prior to an abortion; the Prenatal Protection Act, which recognizes the preborn child as a person from the moment of fertilization; the funding of alternatives to abortion; and the 2011 Sonogram Law.

Texas Right to Life also noted Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst’s support for adult stem cell research, and his backing for Texas Right to Life efforts to redirect funds away from the abortion industry.

“David Dewhurst has been an unwavering advocate for pro-life issues from Day One,” noted Texas Right to Life Director Elizabeth Graham.  “He’s been a hands-on leader, personally championing measures that protect the health of women and strengthen Texas families.  Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst has an effective management style and has shown ability to clear obstacles, encouraging his colleagues to renew their commitment to life at crucial times in the process.”

“Texas Right to Life has enjoyed a close working relationship with him. We urge Pro-Lifers across Texas to look to Dewhurst’s accomplishments and quickly see him as the only candidate in this race with an unmatchable record on behalf of the unborn and on behalf of Texas families,” Graham said.

Texas Alliance for Life has issued an endorsement for Dewhurst and its director, Joe Pojman, said Dewhurst was the first of many federal endorsements that the organization will make leading up to the primary elections in March and added that his “steadfast commitment to helping pass pro-life legislation over the past eight years as lieutenant governor made the decision an easy one.”

“The lieutenant governor has been a friend to the unborn and most vulnerable since well before he entered public life,” Pojman said. “Thanks to his leadership, Texas is one of the most pro-life states in the nation. We are honored to endorse him for United States Senate and know that he will continue to uphold a pro-life platform at the federal level.”

“Over his years in office, Lt. Governor Dewhurst has a solid record of success,” Pojman added. “He supported funding for compassionate alternatives to abortion, passed numerous substantial pro-life measures, including the Woman’s Right to Know and Prenatal Protection Acts and a strong law requiring parental consent for abortions performed on minor girls. He has opposed state funding for embryonic stem cell research and human cloning while supporting life-saving adult stem cell research and treatments, and successfully prevented funding of abortions with state and federal dollars.”

“Governor Dewhurst has been one of the most supportive leaders of the pro-life movement in Texas,” Pojman said. “However, this past session outranked the rest with the passage of the Sonogram Bill, the Choose Life license plate bill, and the defunding of Planned Parenthood by as much as $58 million over the next biennium. None of this could have been done without the lieutenant governor’s help and leadership. We are very grateful for his service to Texas and want him to continue in Washington, D.C., which needs his proven leadership.”

Other candidates seeking the Republican nomination include Curt Cleaver, Nick Latham, former Dallas mayor Tom Leppert, and Glenn Addison.