Care Net Analysis of Election Returns Shows Significant Increase in Pro-Life Legislators
November 4, 2014 saw a historic wave election for Republicans where they took control of the U.S. Senate, increased their majority in the House of Representatives, and increased their control of state legislatures across the country. In the House of Representatives, Republicans now have their largest majority since before the Great Depression when Herbert Hoover was President.
While many people are wondering what the Republicans will do with their new majority, life-affirming advocates should be encouraged by the election returns. According to documentation provided to Care Net by the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, the new congress will have a significant increase in pro-life representatives.
Care Net’s analysis of the data shows that the new Congress will have a net increase of twelve seats that have a more pro-life Representative. Only two seats saw a pro-abortion member replace a pro-life member, while ten seats saw a pro-life member replace a pro-abortion member. Another four seats saw an increase in pro-life representation with a pro-lifer replacing someone with a mixed record, or someone with a mixed record replacing a pro-abortion representative. This leads to a definite net increase in twelve seats for pro-lifers.
The Republican effort to retake the Senate was also lead by pro-lifers with key wins by Joni Ernst in Iowa, Cory Gardner in Colorado, and Tom Cotton in Arkansas. The end result was a new Senate that saw an improvement of nine seats becoming more pro-life. This included eight pro-abortion senators being replaced with pro-life senators.
In the Louisiana runoff election for Sen. Mary Landrieu’s seat, mobilizing pro-life activists was critical to Bill Cassidy’s strong victory. Activists in the state described a supersaturation of abortion ads being used to topple the incumbent. Louisiana Right to Life alone ran 2,300 radio spots, and Sen. Landrieu, a known pro-choice supporter, desperately tried to paint herself as pro-life to hold onto power.
With more pro-life representation in both houses of Congress, pro-lifers should be in a stronger position to promote a culture that affirms life. It is important for members of congress to remember the important role of the life issue in their victories, and work to pass more pro-lfe policies. While it is exciting that the number of abortions in America are starting to decline, we can not stop until Roe. v. Wade is reversed and every child is able to celebrate abundant life.