(CNSNews) – Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (SBA), a leading U.S. pro-life organization, said that the Republican candidates who won on Nov. 8, such as Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), were clear on their stance for life, and those who lost, such as Dr. Mehmet Oz (Penn.), were quiet on abortion and this reticence led to GOP losses.
In a telephone call with reporters on Nov. 9, SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser commented on how the pro-life issue helped candidates.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R), for instance, signed a controversial heartbeat bill into law in 2019 – no abortions after an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detected, which is usually at 6 weeks into a pregnancy. Kemp won by 7.6 percentage points over pro-abortion Democrat Stacey Abrams in the Georgia governor’s race.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a six-week abortion ban (heartbeat bill) into law in Texas. He won by 11 percentage points over pro-abortion Democrat Beto O’Rouke in the Texas governor’s race.
Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed into law a pro-life bill banning abortion after 15 weeks, won by 19 percentage points over pro-abortion Charlie Crist in the Florida governor’s race.
Also, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed a heartbeat bill into law, and he won reelection against a pro-abortion Democrat by 25.6%.
In contrast, other Republican gubernatorial candidates who were not as strong in their pro-life messaging lost their races last night, reported the SBA.
For instance, Derek Schmidt, the Republican candidate for governor in Kansas, stated in a debate, “the officials would have to respect the decision voters made in August to preserve abortion rights in the state.” His statement was weak on the pro-life stance and he lost his race by 1.5 percentage points over pro-abortion Democrat Laura Kelly.
Tudor Dixon, the Republican candidate for governor in Michigan, said at a rally, “Gretchen Whitmer is out there saying that I’m going to be able to do something about that issue [abortion] in this state…. As you all know, it’s on the ballot, it has been decided by a judge, don’t let her bright shiny thing distract from the fact that she has done nothing but hurt this state.”
Her statement was weak on the pro-life issue and she lost by 9.8 percentage points over pro-abortion Democrat Gretchen Whitmer.
Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate for governor in New York, said he would not interfere with abortion rights, if elected governor. His weak stance led to his loss by 5.2% over Kathy Hochul.
The SBA said GOP candidates need to “find [their] position, contrast with [their] opponent … and take the issue [of life] head on … candidates who put their head in the sand [about prolife issues] lose.”
Another factor the SBA emphasized was funding. “Democrats took the opportunity and ran with it, spending $391 million on abortion-focused TV ads alone during the general election, versus just $11 million on the GOP side, a 35:1 spending ratio,” reported the SBA. “Yet for those candidates who went on offense, the astonishing amount of money did not prevail.”
The SBA further emphasized that only 10% of Americans think we should have abortion on demand and 70% of Americans believe there should be restrictions. Noting that Marco Rubio, who won his Senate campaign in Florida, was “the gold standard on pro-life issues for federal candidates,” the SBA stressed that Republicans who are clear on the pro-life issue should win.