Pro-life scorecard for the 2022 midterms
Candidates endorsed by a leading national grassroots pro-life advocacy group for U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections won a strong majority of their races in the midterms this week, with the group praising candidates who took a clear stance on the abortion issue.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America spent upwards of $78 million this election cycle to mobilize voters behind pro-life candidates.
In Senate races, 12 out of 15 SBA-endorsed candidates have won while one is projected to lose. One race is still too close to call, while another is heading to a runoff election next month. In gubernatorial races, 11 of 12 SBA-endorsed candidates won their races. While one race is still too close to call, the SBA-endorsed candidate in that race is trailing her Democratic counterpart.
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During a Wednesday press conference and in a memo release the same day, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser urged the GOP to take an offensive stance on abortion moving forward into 2024. She argued that the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade this June has made it "impossible" for candidates to ignore the topic.
Dannenfelser praised candidates such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, crediting their decisive victories to their willingness to pass pro-life laws. She believes the candidates her group endorsed who did well during the midterms made it clear what their position is on abortion.
Senate races
Eric Schmitt, Missouri: State Attorney General Eric Schmitt won the Republican Senate seat in Missouri, defeating Democratic candidate Trudy Busch Valentine, a nurse, to replace the retired Republican Sen. Roy Blunt. With 99% of precincts reporting, 55.5% voted for Schmitt, and 42.1% voted for Valentine.
Tim Scott, South Carolina: Republican Sen. Tim Scott maintained his seat in The Palmetto State, where he has served as a senator since 2013. With 99% of precincts reporting, Scott won 62.9% of the vote and his Democratic opponent, Krystle Matthews, with 37.1% of the vote.
John Hoeven, North Dakota: Republican John Hoeven won the North Dakota Senate race. With 99% of precincts reporting, Hoeven won 56.5% of the vote, while his Democratic opponent, Katrina Christiansen, won 25% of the vote.
Blake Masters, Arizona: Blake Masters, the Republican nominee for Arizona's Senate seat, does not appear likely to unseat Democratic incumbent Mark Kelly, who has served in the Senate since 2020. With 83% of precincts reporting as of Friday morning, Kelly is projected to secure the victory with 51.8% compared to Masters' 46.1%.
Kelly Tshibaka, Alaska: Kelly Tshibaka has a narrow lead in the race for Alaska's Senate seat against fellow Republican Lisa Murkowski and Democrat Patricia Chesbro. With 80% of precincts reporting, the race has come down between Tshibaka and Murkowski, who have 44.2% and 42.8% of the vote, respectively. Chesbro currently has 9.5% of the vote. Alaska has ranked-choice voting.
Katie Britt, Alabama: Katie Britt will be Alabama's first female senator, beating her Democratic opponent Will Boyd. With 98% of precincts reporting, Britt won 66.8% of the vote, and Boyd won 30.9%.
Mike Lee, Utah: Republican Mike Lee survived a challenge by Independent Evan McMullin, known for being the 2016 presidential darling candidate option for NeverTrump conservatives. With 71% of precincts reporting, Lee won 54.9% of the vote, and McMullin won 41.4%.
J.D. Vance, Ohio: Republican J.D. Vance will beat his Democratic opponent, Tim Ryan, to win Ohio's open Senate seat, replacing retiring Rob Portman. Polling results with 99% of precincts reporting show Vance won 53.3% of the vote while Ryan won 46.7%.
John Boozman, Arkansas: With 99% of precincts reporting, Republican Sen. John Boozman won 65.8% of the vote and his Democratic opponent, Natalie James, won 31% of the vote.
Herschel Walker, Georgia: The high-profile Georgia Senate race between former NFL player Herschel Walker and Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock will go to a runoff on Dec. 6, 2022. With 99% of precincts reporting, Warnock won 49.4% of the vote, and Walker won 48.5%. Under Georgia election law, a candidate must secure over 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff election.
Todd Young, Indiana: With 99% of precincts reporting, Republican Todd Young won 58.7% of the vote, while his Democratic opponent, Thomas McDermott, won 37.8%.
James Lankford, Oklahoma: Oklahoma has reelected Sen. James Lankford, a seat he has held since 2015. With 99% of precincts reporting, Lankford won 64.3% of the vote and his Democratic challenger, Madison Horn, won 32.1% of the vote.
Ted Budd, North Carolina: North Carolina elected Republican Ted Budd to fill the open Senate seat over Democrat Cheri Beasley. The election results with 99% of precincts show that Budd won 50.7% of the vote and Beasley won 47.1%.
Chuck Grassley, Iowa: Republican Chuck Grassley won an eighth term in the U.S. Senate, beating Democratic hopeful Mike Franken. The election results with 99% of precincts show that Grassley won the state with 56.1% of the vote, while 43.9% voted for Franken.
Marco Rubio, Florida: With 99% of precincts reporting, Marco Rubio, who has held the seat since 2011, won 57.7% of the vote and his opponent, Democrat Val Demings, won 41.3% of the vote.
Gubernatorial races
Kevin Stitt, Oklahoma: Republican Kevin Stitt has defeated Democrat Joy Hofmeister. With 99% of precincts reporting, Stitt won 55.5% of the vote, while Hofmeister won 41.8%.
Kari Lake, Arizona: The Democrat nominee for Arizona governor, Katie Hobbs, appears to be pulling ahead of her Republican opponent, Kari Lake, in a tightly contested race coming down to the wire. With 82% of precincts in, Hobbs has secured 50.7% of the vote and Lake 49.3%.
Jim Pillen, Nebraska: Republican Jim Pillen has defeated Democrat Carol Blood. With 99% of precincts reporting, Pillen secured 60.5% of the vote, while Blood won 35.6%.
Ron DeSantis, Florida: Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 presidential hopeful, won his reelection bid, beating his Democratic challenger, former Rep. Charlie Crist. With 99% of precincts reporting, DeSantis won 59.4% of the vote, while Crist won 40%.
Mike Dunleavy, Alaska: Republican Mike Dunleavy is projected to defeat Democrat Les Gara in the Alaska governor race. With 80% of precincts reporting, Dunleavy has 52.1% of the vote and Gara has 23.1%.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Arkansas: Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former President Donald Trump's press secretary from 2017 to 2019 and daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, will become the state's first female governor. With 99% of precincts reporting, Sanders won 63.1% of the vote over her Democratic opponent, Chris Jones, who won 35.1% of the vote.
Greg Abbott, Texas: Republican Gov. Greg Abbott won his reelection bid against his Democratic challenger, former Rep. Beto O'Rourke. Abbott has served as the state's governor since 2015. With 99% of precincts reporting, Abbott won 54.8% of the vote, while O'Rourke had 43.8% of the vote.
Henry McMaster, South Carolina: South Carolina reelected Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, who has served as the state's 117th governor since 2017. With 99% of precincts reporting, McMaster won 58.1% of the vote, defeating his Democratic opponent, Joe Cunningham, who won 40.7%.
Brian Kemp, Georgia: Georgia reelected Gov. Brian Kemp, making it the second time Democrat Stacey Abrams has failed to defeat the Republican. With 99% of precincts reporting, Kemp won the race with 53.4% of the vote, while Abrams won 45.8% of the vote.
Kristi Noem, South Dakota: The 33rd governor of South Dakota, Republican Kristi Noem, won reelection this midterm cycle, maintaining the seat she has held since 2019. With 99% of precincts reporting, Noem won 62%, beating her Democratic challenger, Jamie Smith, who won 35.2% of the vote.
Kay Ivey, Alabama: Alabama reelected Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, who has served as the state's 54th governor since 2017. With 98% of precincts reporting, Ivey defeated Democrat Yolanda Flowers with 67.4% of the vote. Flowers secured 29.4% of the vote.
Kim Reynolds, Iowa: Republican Kim Reynolds, who has held the position since 2017, won the state with 58.1% of the vote. With 99% of precincts reporting, Reynolds' Democratic opponent, Deidre DeJear, finished the race with 39.5%.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected].
