Planned Parenthood Action Fund Celebrates 26 New Pro-Choice Congressionals
For Immediate Release: May 14, 2012
Pro-Planned Parenthood Senators and Representatives Win Elections
The Planned Parenthood Action Fund applauds the 26 new pro-Planned Parenthood and pro-choice senators and representatives who have won election to the 111th Congress.
“All across the country, supporters of women’s health and rights won key congressional and Senate races. From Dina Titus, a new congresswoman-elect from Clark County to Kay Hagan, the new senator-elect from North Carolina, and important seats in between, voters across America voted for change and voted for women’s health,” said Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
Overall, Planned Parenthood Action Fund-endorsed candidates won 51 congressional seats in targeted races. The 111th Congress will have at least 26 new pro-Planned Parenthood and pro-choice members, with a handful of races still to be decided.
“We look forward to working with all the new members of Congress on promoting and protecting women’s health. We especially celebrate the 26 new members who support women’s health and rights,” said Richards.
Notably, New Mexico will have an all-pro-choice congressional delegation, with wins by Martin Heinrich (NM-01), Harry Teague, (NM-02) and Ben Lujan (NM-03).
“Women and families are the real winners in this election,” Richards said. “The number of new pro-choice and pro-women’s health members of Congress represents a major step toward getting our country back on track and ensuring that our lawmakers have the right priorities, like support for women’s health care.”
The Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s One Million Strong Campaign mobilized one million pro-choice, pro-women’s health voters across the country to vote for women’s health. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund targeted key states with aggressive grassroots efforts in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The Planned Parenthood Action Fund also launched a mail program targeting undecided women voters who are concerned about women’s health in five Senate races –Georgia, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Oregon – sending more than two million pieces of mail to more than 536,000 voters, and helping propel Kay Hagan and Jeanne Shaheen to victory. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund also launched mail and grassroots programs in key congressional races, helping Dina Titus (NV-03), Alan Grayson (FL-08), and Suzanne Kosmas (FL-24) win tough victories in contested districts.
In addition, voters rejected right-wing-sponsored ballot initiatives in South Dakota, Colorado, and California – measures that sought to undermine women and families’ rights to make personal health care decisions.
List of Newly Elected Pro-Choice and Pro-Planned Parenthood Candidates
Senators
- Kay Hagan (North Carolina)
- Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire)
- Mark Udall (Colorado)
- Tom Udall (New Mexico)
- Mark Warner (Virginia)
House of Representatives
- John Adler (NJ-03)
- Gerry Connolly (VA-11)
- Alan Grayson (FL-08)
- Debbie Halvorsen (IL-11)
- Martin Heinrich (NM-01)
- Jim Himes (CT-04)
- Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
- Larry Kissell (NC-8)
- Suzanne Kosmas (FL-24)
- Ben Lujan (NM-03)
- Dan Maffei (NY-25)
- Betsy Markey (CO-04)
- Eric Massa (NY-29)
- Walt Minnick (ID-01)
- Glenn Nye (VA-02)
- Gary Peters (MI-09)
- Mark Schauer (MI-07)
- Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
- Harry Teague (NM-02)
- Dina Titus (NV-03)
- Paul Tonko (NY-21)
List of Planned Parenthood Action Fund-Endorsed Congressional Candidates In Key Races Who Won
SENATE
- Max Baucus (Montana)
- Joe Biden (Delaware)
- Dick Durbin (Illinois)
- Kay Hagan (North Carolina)
- Tom Harkin (Iowa)
- John Kerry (Massachusetts)
- Frank Lautenberg (New Jersey)
- Jack Reed (Rhode Island)
- Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire)
- Mark Udall (Colorado)
- Tom Udall (New Mexico)
TARGETED HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RACES
- Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
- Harry Mitchell (AZ-05)
- Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-08)
- Jerry McNerney (CA-11)
- Jared Polis (CO-02)
- Betsy Markey (CO-04)
- Joe Courtney (CT-02)
- Chris Murphy (CT-05)
- Alan Grayson (FL-08)
- Suzanne Kosmas (FL -24)
- Walt Minnick (ID-01)
- Melissa Bean (IL-08)
- Mark Kirk (IL-10)
- Debbie Halvorson (IL-11)
- Bill Foster (IL-14)
- Dennis Moore (KS-03)
- John Yarmuth (KY-03)
- Chellie Pingree (ME-01)
- Mark Schauer (MI-07)
- Gary Peters (MI-09)
- Tim Walz (MN-01)
- Dina Titus (NV -03)
- Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01)
- Paul Hodes (NH-02)
- John Adler (NJ-03)
- Martin Heinrich (NM-01)
- Harry Teague (NM-02)
- Ben Lujan (NM-03)
- John Hall (NY-19)
- Kirsten Gillibrand (NY-20)
- Paul Tonko (NY-21)
- Michael Arcuri (NY-24)
- Dan Maffei (NY-25)
- Eric Massa (NY-29)
- Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
- Patrick Murphy (PA-08)
- Ciro Rodriguez (TX-23)
- Glenn Nye (VA-02)
- Gerry Connolly (VA-11)
- Steve Kagen (WI-08)