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Senate Races

Currently in the United States Senate there are 35 pro-choice Senators, 17 “mixed choice” Senators and 48 anti-choice Senators according to NARAL. Over one-third of seats in the U.S. Senate will be up for grabs in November.

We have selected races to follow based on the Rothenberg Report's analysis of the most competitive in the country and then looked at pro-choice organizations WISH List, EMILY's List, NARAL and our own research to determine which of the most competitive were likely to feature issues of importance to voters interested in sexual and reproductive health issues. Because of our small staff, we greatly appreciate tips and input from readers around the country about these and other races as issues of sexual and reproductive health are discussed.

ALASKA: Republican Senator Ted Stevens is the longest serving Republican senator and has been planning on seeking another term. This might change however since Stevens was recently indicted on seven counts of corruption. Calling himself "pro-choice" and having received a 75% score in 2007 for his reproductive rights voting record from NARAL Pro-Choice America, Stevens has also voted to ban certain abortion procedures, supports parental notification and opposes comprehensive sex ed.

Running against Stevens is Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, a Democrat. Begich's chances of winning the seat may look rosier with his opponent's recent indictment. Begich lists NARAL Pro-Choice America among his donors and most recently attended a gathering of mayors from around the country hosted by the pro-choice organization National Institute for Reproductive Health to discuss reproductive health concerns for urban residents.

More on progressive politics in Alaska at Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis.

COLORADO: Congressman Mark Udall is competing to fill the seat of retiring Republican Senator Wayne Allard. Udall is a Democrat with a 100% pro-choice voting record according to NARAL Pro-Choice America. Udall is a co-sponsor of the Prevention First Act of 2007, which would provide insurance coverage for contraception as well as aid to family planning clinics.

Congressman Udall is running against Republican Bob Schaffer. Schaffer spent time as a state senator for Colorado and then as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Schaffer is anti-choice. He supports restricting access to abortion through parental notification measures, voted for the Federal Abortion Ban, and believes public funds should not subsidize low-income women's abortion care. Schaffer also supports the Global Gag Rule that restricts U.S. funds from supporting family planning centers abroad. Finally, Schaffer has received a 100% rating from the National Right to Life.

More on progressive politics in Colorado at SquareState.

LOUISIANA: Two term Democrat Mary Landrieu who holds a mixed record on abortion is running against anti-choice Republican John N. Kennedy, who is currently the Louisiana state treasurer. Landrieu supports stem cell research and wants to lift the ban on performing abortions on military bases. However, she's also voted to ban late term abortion procedures. Most recently Landrieu voted to deny indigenous women on reservations coverage for abortion access through Indian Health Services except in cases of rape or incest or to save the woman's life. Emily's List helped elect Mary Landrieu to Congress.

Kennedy is completely anti-choice and joined the GOP after running a failed bid for Senate as a Democrat in 2004. John Kennedy believes Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided and should be overturned returning the decision to the states.

More on progressive politics in Louisiana at Daily Kingfish.

MAINE: Republican Senator Susan Collins is vying for her seat against Representative Tom Allen who is a Democrat. Collins has voted pro-choice on some issues. Collins holds an 83% rating from NARAL and was one of just three Republican senators to oppose the "Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act" of 2003. Senator Collins also recently voted against a bill that would have denied coverage for indigenous women seeking an abortion through Indian Health Services. However, she also voted for a "dog whistle" anti-choice bill that would have increased penalties for committing a crime against a pregnant woman.

Because of Rep. Tom Allen's extensive voting record in support of women's reproductive health care access, Allen has earned a 100% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America indicating a fully pro-choice voting record. Allen supports federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, voted against the so-called "Partial Birth Abortion Ban", supports family planning funding in US aid abroad, and voted for repeal of an amendment that forbids servicewomen from accessing abortion care in an overseas military hospital.

More on progressive politics in Maine at Turn Maine Blue.

MINNESOTA: Democrat Al Franken is a former television writer turned progressive radio host turned Senatorial candidate. While Franken does not mention his stance on reproductive and sexual health and rights on his web site and there is not much of a paper trail about where he stands on these issues, he does have the endorsements of Minnesota NOW, DFL Feminist Caucus and the Stonewall DFL Caucus. Franken was taken to task last month for his off-color jokes and an essay in Playboy magazine a decade ago, calling into question his ability to advocate for women in his state.

Al Franken is running against Republican Senator Norm Coleman. Coleman has received a 0% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America. In 2006, Coleman voted with the interests of the National Right to Life Committee 100% of the time. Sen. Coleman's candidacy web site does not mention reproductive rights. However his voting record signals that he opposes abortion access and U.S. funds for family planning clinics abroad. He voted for the Federal Marriage Amendment and voted against an amendment in 2006 that would have provided federal grants for education to prevent teen pregnancy through comprehensive sexuality education from 2007-2011.

More on progressive politics in Minnesota at Minnesota Independent.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Former Governor Jeanne Shaheen will challenge U.S. Senator Republican John Sununu for his seat. Sununu is anti-choice and an ally of President Bush along reproductive rights lines. He has received a 0% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America and, over the years, has voted with the interests of the National Right to Life Committee almost 100% of the time. Sununu voted for a bill that would bar Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants to organizations that provide abortions. He also voted to make fetuses eligible for SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program - a federal grantee program) bypassing the pregnant woman herself. Sununu also voted against a bill that would have provided funds to reduce teen pregnancy through education and contraceptive access.

Governor Shaheen is John Sununu's challenger. She is an advocate for reproductive and sexual health and rights. As governor of New Hampshire, the state became only the 10^th in the nation to include sexual orientation in its laws prohibiting discrimination in housing and employment. Shaheen also repealed laws that made abortion a felony in her state. Emily's List helped Shaheen in her successful bid for Governor and has endorsed her current run for Senate. Shaheen's web site states that she "is a strong supporter of a woman's right to choose. In the United States Senate she will support federal funding of reproductive health care, including crucial preventive care, such as access to family planning and teaching of comprehensive sex education. She will support repeal of the 'gag rule' that prohibits international family planning organizations from offering women in poor countries a full range of reproductive health care options."

More on progressive politics in New Hampshire at Blue Hampshire.

NEW MEXICO: Senate veteran and Republican Pete Dominici is retiring leaving two major challengers in the race: Democrat Representative Tom Udall and Republican Representative Steve Pearce.

Steve Pearce is serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Pearce sports a 0% rating on his reproductive health and rights voting record according to NARAL Pro-Choice America and has been endorsed by the anti-choice Susan B. Anthony List Fund. He has voted for the interests of the National Right to Life Committee 100% of the time. In 2007, he voted against a bill that would have amended the federal Civil Rights Act to prohibit employers from discriminating based on sexual orientation (ENDA).

Representative Tom Udall has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1998. He received a 100% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America for his voting record on reproductive health and rights. He supports embryonic stem cell research, family planning funding for organizations abroad, voted against the Federal Abortion Ban in 2003, and supports ensuring access to and funding for contraception for those who need it.

More on progressive politics in New Mexico at Democracy for New Mexico.

NORTH CAROLINA: Senator Kay Hagan is running against incumbent Republican Senator Elizabeth Dole who has been called a "Bush loyalist" and who took over conservative Jesse Helms seat in 2002.

Sen. Elizabeth Dole holds conservative positions on everything from the war to gay rights to abortion and has voted with the Bush administration 92% of the time; 94% of the time with GOP leadership. Dole is anti-choice. She voted to cut off all funding for Planned Parenthood and was the only female senator of either party to vote against a resolution affirming Roe v. Wade as the law of the land. Dole also voted against the Equal Pay Bill.

Sen. Kay Hagan has served five terms in the North Carolina Senate. Hagan is pro-choice and, according to the director of the NARAL Pro-Choice America North Carolina affiliate; they would be "thrilled" to support Hagan. She voted to expand health insurance to cover more North Carolina children, supports increased penalties for hate crimes, affordable health insurance for all and will work to expand the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act. Emily's List has this to say about Hagan: "When she learned about a backlog of untested rape kits sitting in police evidence rooms, Hagan secured funding for DNA testing so that law enforcement could start id'ing rapists and imprisoning them."

VIRGINIA: Dana Goldstein, on RH Reality Check, writes:

After serving since 1979, Republican Senator John Warner is retiring this year. Two former governors are competing for the seat; Republican Jim Gilmore and Democrat Mark Warner, the cell phone mogul who transitioned to a career in politics and flirted with a 2008 presidential run.

Former governor Mark Warner describes himself as a "radical centrist" who respects "responsible choice." As governor, he opposed a 24-hour waiting period for women requesting abortions and said he would fight efforts to chip away at Roe. Polls show him leading Gilmore by a 15 to 20 point margin.

As governor Jim Gilmore helped pass the 24-hour waiting period for women requesting an abortion and a parental notification bill. Gilmore also created the Virginia Abstinence Initiative and ushered through the non-medically termed "Partial Birth Abortion" ban in his state.

More on progressive politics in Virgina at Raising Kaine.

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House Races

All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for grabs this election season. It is a particularly interesting election season because 25 Republicans have announced their intentions to retire this year while only 5 Democrats have declared the same. According to NARAL, while the House of Representatives is currently “under pro-choice leadership”, pro-choice lawmakers are still outnumbered in the 110th Congress, which consists of only 164 solidly pro-choice House members (of 435).

We have selected races to follow based on the Rothenberg Report's analysis of the most competitive in the country and then looked at pro-choice organizations WISH List, EMILY's List, NARAL and our own research to determine which of the most competitive were likely to feature issues of importance to voters interested in sexual and reproductive health issues. Because of our small staff, we greatly appreciate tips and input from readers around the country about these and other races as issues of sexual and reproductive health are discussed.

ARIZONA: Pro-choice Rep. Gabrielle Giffords already holds Arizona's 8^th district seat, but because she dislodged a Republican to win, the GOP wants to take it back. Her opponent, state Senate President Tim Bee, is "vehemently anti-choice; he's been endorsed by Arizona Right to Life every year since winning office in 2000," says EMILY's List.

Another pure toss-up is Ann Kirkpatrick's bid to take over Rep. Rick Renzi's seat in Arizona's 1^st district. Renzi is retiring, but Kirkpatrick still has to win the Democratic primary and beat hard-line anti-choicer Sydney Hay in the general. Kirkpatrick is pro-choice and has sponsored a bill guaranteeing access to emergency contraceptives for victims of sexual assault.

More on progressive politics in Arizona at Ted Prezelski - Rum, Romanism and Rebellion.

COLORADO: Incumbent Republican anti-choicer Rep. Marilyn Musgrave is favored in the race for Colorado's 4^th district seat, but polling shows Democrat Betsy Markey closing in, according to EMILY's List. Reports EMILY's List: "Musgrave, who barely won re-election in 2006, is the leading anti-gay crusader in the U.S. House, and her radical anti-choice record earns her high marks from the National Right to Life Committee." Markey, on the other hand, respects a woman's right to make personal medical decisions.

More on progressive politics in Colorado at SquareState.

FLORIDA: Despite the fact that Republican Representative Tom Feeney has been linked to lobbyist Jack Abramoff's unclean dealings, he is still favored to win against former state Rep. Suzanne Kosmas in Florida's 24^th district. The pro-choice Kosmas is out-fundraising Feeney, however, making this a race to watch.

Rep. Vern Buchanan is still favored to win in Florida's 13^th district, though he faces a strong challenger in Christine Jennings. Buchanan is opposed to abortion even in cases of rape, incest, or threat to a woman's life. EMILY's List reports that, even from outside Congress, "According to University of South Florida political science Professor Susan MacManus, ‘...no one has had as much impact on election reform as [Jennings] has.'"

More on progressive politics in Florida at Florida Progressive Coalition.

ILLINOIS: Pro-choicers have an opportunity to pick up a seat in Illinois's 11^th district, where Rep. John Weller is retiring. And Democrat Debbie Halvorson is favored to win. Halvorson is the first female state Senate Majority Leader in Illinois. The Washington Post has listed this race as the second most competitive in the House.

More on progressive politics in Illinois at Prairie State Blue.

KANSAS: In Kansas's 2^nd district, pro-choice Republican Lynn Jenkins is running to unseat Democrat Nancy Boyda. Jenkins has been endorsed by the WISH List, a pro-choice Republican group, who has called her "one of our only chances to replace a Democrat with a mainstream Republican." Lynn Jenkins solidly beat anti-choice, social conservative Jim Ryun in the Republican primary. Boyda has received a 100% ranking from NARAL Pro-Choice America. The Rothenberg Report currently classifies the race as "pure toss-up."

More on progressive politics in Kansas at EverydayCitizen.

MISSOURI: Kay Barnes is running in Missouri's 6^th district, trying to unseat Republican Sam Graves. EMILY's List identifies Graves as "extreme on choice and would outlaw abortion even in cases of rape, incest, or to protect a woman's life." Graves has fallen into line with Bush on Iraq and the economy, meaning Barnes has ample opportunity to demonstrate her capacity for bringing in change. But Rothenberg says the race is still leaning in Graves's favor.

More on progressive politics in Missouri at Pam's House Blend.

NEW YORK: Incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand is still favored in her race to keep her seat in New York's 20^th district despite the GOP nomination of moderate, pro-choice Alexander "Sandy" Treadwell.

More on progressive politics in New York at Room 8.

OHIO: Another pure toss-up, according to Rothenberg, is the race to take over retiring Rep. Deborah Price's seat in Ohio's 15^th district. Pro-choice Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy is running against anti-choice Republican state Senator Steve Stivers, a former lobbyist for the banking industry.

More on progressive politics in Ohio at Ohio Daily Blog.

WASHINGTON: Former Microsoft manager Darcy Burner is running again to challenge Rep. Dave Reichert in Washington's 8^th district, a suburb of Seattle, after a narrow loss in 2006. Reports EMILY's List, "Reichert has supported numerous measures to restrict women's reproductive rights, even opposing a bill to exempt contraceptives from the 'global gag rule' that prohibits U.S. funding for international family planning organizations that even mention abortion as an option for women." Burner says her support for reproductive rights is in line with her would-be constituents: "The voters in Washington's eighth congressional district overwhelmingly support a woman's right to choose, and they deserve a representative who will fight for their beliefs," she says.

More on progressive politics in Washington at Horses Ass.

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Ballot Initiatives

Several states allow citizens to pass laws by ballot initiative. Attempts to restrict sexual and reproductive health and rights failed in several states such as Oregon, Montana, Nevada, Missouri, Illinois, Georgia and Maine. Below is a summary of states where these issues will be voted on this November. For more check Dana Goldstein's excellent summary of 2008 ballot initiatives. Also check out NARAL on 2008 ballot measures.

CALIFORNIA: "Waiting Period and Parental Notification Act of 2008" — Full Text (PDF) — An initiative to require parental notification for a minor as well as a 48 hour waiting period will be on the ballot in California in November 2008. This is the "third incarnation of a ballot measure Californians have resoundingly rejected" in 2005 and again in 2006.

The "Yes on 85" campaign preys on parent's fears of sexual predators and seems to be gaining traction in the polls. According to Medical News Today, "Some supporters said the apparent increase in support for the measure is partly because of a new provision in the 2008 version, known as Proposition 4, that would allow teens in abusive home situations to have their physician notify another family member that they are seeking abortions."

The president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California noted, however, that "a minor can only use that option if a physician files an abuse report with law enforcement. "What's law enforcement going to do? Come and visit the family?" Kneer said, adding, "I don't think the teen's going to want to risk that. It just doesn't work in the real world." Medical News Today also points out that the measure also would allow parents of teens who received abortions without their consent up to four years to sue the physician, which would be a "huge barrier for doctors," Kneer said. She added that the initiative "still fails to protect teens, and it creates legal threats to health providers."

More on progressive politics in California at Calitics.

COLORADO: "Human Life Amendment" — Full Text (PDF) — Pushed by a group led by 20 year old Kristi Burton, Colorado for Equal Rights. This amendment would alter the state constitution to declare that life begins the moment a sperm fertilizes an egg. The amendment could then set a legal precedent for outlawing birth control, especially emergency contraception, by re-defining the medical definition of pregnancy. The Protect Families, Protect Choices coalition opposes the ballot measure saying it could very well ban health care access like in vitro fertilization, contraception, and life saving stem cell research. The Executive Board of the Colorado Obstetrical-Gynecological Society opposes the initiative.

As in Montana, all anti-choice groups do not support the initiative. According to Wendy Norris, Sigrid Fry-Revere, the conservative Cato Institute's director of bioethics says about the amendment, "The whole issue really saddens me. I am strongly against abortion on moral grounds. I do believe a fertilized egg is a person; a human from the point of conception. But I don't believe that person has the same legal rights as the mother. And that's where all the problems come in..." Most recently, 70 physicians and pharmacists, none seemingly from the state of Colorado endorsed the ballot measure.

More on progressive politics in Colorado at SquareState.

SOUTH DAKOTA: "Abortion ban" — — Full Text (PDF) — Although a similar abortion ban was on the ballot in South Dakota in 2006, anti-choice activists are at it again. This time, the ban includes exceptions in the cases of rape or incest or to protect the life or health of the woman. The initiative would enact one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country if passed. In 2006, voters voted down a similar abortion ban not in small part because of the extreme tactics used by the anti-choice advocates. South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families successfully fought the ban in 2006 and are at it again.

According to an article in the Rapid City Journal, Republican and former State Representative Jan Nicolay is co-chairing the campaign and says, "South Dakota's families do not need big Government telling them what they can and can't do."

If the voters of South Dakota approve the measure, it could make way for a Supreme Court case challenging Roe v. Wade.

More on progressive politics in South Dakota at Badlands Blue.