MCCL Intern
Currently there are only 13 pro-life women in the U.S. House of Representatives, and no pro-life women in the Senate. Could this be because women are less likely to be pro-life?
The Gallup organization recently concluded that "abortion polling since the mid-1970s finds few remarkable distinctions between men's and women's views on the legality of abortion." It has actually found that 48 percent of American women consider themselves pro-life, while 45 percent consider themselves pro-choice.So clearly there are millions of pro-life women, but it seems that most of them do not find themselves in the political realm.
Back in the 2008 elections, vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin quickly became the voice and prominent figure for pro-life women across America. Now looking towards the 2010 elections, there is an increasing number of pro-life women who are running for office.
Sharron Angle, Senate nominee for Nevada, Carly Fiorina, Senate nominee for California, and Susana Martinez, nominee for governor of New Mexico, are all pro-life. All three of these women won the nomination for the Republican party in the primary elections. Nikki Haley is also expected to be a gubernatorial nominee for South Carolina, and she too is pro-life.
In addition, Kelly Ayotte, the former attorney general of New Hampshire, and Jane Norton, the former lieutenant governor of Colorado, will also be pro-life Senate candidates in November if they succeed in their primaries.
As stated by Ramesh Ponnuru in the New York Times:
Political journalists called 1992 "the year of the woman" because so many female candidates won Senate seats that year — including Barbara Boxer, who was elevated from the House. All those women supported abortion rights. "We have been waiting for our 1992," says Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of the Susan B. Anthony List, which encourages pro-life women to run for Congress. Her wait is coming to an end.
