Pro-Choice Victories in the 2008 Election

NARAL Pro-Choice America worked hard for our slate of pro-choice candidates across the country, including pro-choice Sen. Barack Obama, and that hard work resulted in the reaffirmation of our commitment to the values of freedom and privacy.

In a race that featured candidates with stark differences on choice, voters rejected John McCain's divisive attacks on a woman's right to choose and responded to Sen. Obama's call to move this country in a new direction. And wouldn't you know, it is a clear, decisive victory.

Here is a list of pro-choice electoral highlights:

• Pro-choice Sen. Barack Obama wins a decisive victory, picking up traditionally conservative states with his common-ground message.
• Pro-choice Americans defeat anti-choice ballot measures in South Dakota, California and Colorado. In South Dakota, a state won by John McCain, voters made clear their opposition to a dangerous abortion ban by defeating the measure for the second consecutive election.
• At this point, election results show that Americans elected a net gain of 16 fully pro-choice members in the House, and moved five Senate seats out of the anti-choice column - with four more Senate seats still waiting to be called.

Even as some races remain too close to call, there are multiple examples of pro-choice gains:

• Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire) and Mark Udall (Colorado) defeated anti-choice incumbent senators in their high profile races].
• Sen. Elizabeth Dole (North Carolina) lost her seat after one term. She consistently voted anti-choice, and supported the Bush agenda on almost every issue.
• In Virginia's 11th Congressional District, NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC-endorsed candidate Gerry Connolly defeated anti-choice Keith Fimian.
• In Michigan's 7th Congressional District, NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC-endorsed candidate Mark Schauer defeated anti-choice Rep. Tim Walberg. In the state's 9th Congressional District NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC-endorsed candidate Gary Peters defeated anti-choice Rep. Joe Knollenberg.
• In New Mexico's 1st Congressional District, NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC-endorsed candidate Martin Heinrich defeated anti-choice Darren White and in New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District, NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC-endorsed candidate Harry Teague defeated anti-choice Ed Tinsley. The entire New Mexico congressional delegation in now pro-choice.

As you can tell, there is much for pro-choice America to celebrate.

I'm proud that NARAL Pro-Choice America was the first major pro-choice PAC to endorse Obama for president.

I'm proud that the NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC endorsed 95 candidates for the U.S. House and Senate and made $350,000 in direct contributions to campaigns.

I'm proud that NARAL Pro-Choice America volunteers made more than 12,500 GOTV calls into swing states urging voters to support Sen. Obama, targeted pro-choice congressional candidates and mobilized its one-million-strong network of member activists to engage in campaigns and vote for pro-choice candidates. President-elect Obama won all eight battleground states where NARAL Pro-Choice America contacted pro-choice voters on his behalf.

And finally, I'm proud of pro-choice America. These pro-choice wins would not have been possible without all of you.