Pro-life recap of Tuesday’s political primaries

By Karen Cross, Political Director

On Tuesday, August 2^nd, voters in Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington cast their ballots in their respective state primaries. 

Here is a pro-life recap of some of the key races:

Arizona
Blake Masters, a pro-life businessman and author, won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Arizona. He will take on pro-abortion incumbent Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly, who holds a 0% voting record with National Right to Life. Kelly supports a policy of abortion on demand for any reason, and he supports using American tax dollars to pay for abortions. The Arizona Senate race is expected to be one of the most competitive of the 2022 cycle. The Cook Political Report puts the contest in the Tossup category.

The Republican primary in the Arizona Governor race remains undecided at this time, but former television news journalist Kari Lake holds a narrow lead over lawyer Karrin Taylor Robson. Both women are strongly pro-life, and both have called for expanding legal protections for unborn children and their mothers in Arizona. In contrast, the Democrats nominated Secretary of State of Arizona Katie Hobbs, who is a staunch abortion advocate. Hobbs supports a policy of abortion on demand for any reason until birth, and she supports using Arizona tax dollars to pay for abortions.

The Republican and Democrat primaries for Arizona Attorney General remain too early to call. 

In Arizona’s 1^st Congressional District, pro-life incumbent Congressman David Schweikert faced strong primary challenges from two fellow Republicans: Elijah Norton and Josh Barnett, both businessmen. With results still coming in, the race remains too close to call, but Schweikert holds a sizable lead over both challengers. Rep. Schweikert’s district was competitive in previous election cycles but after this year’s redistricting, the primary winner will face off against pro-abortion Democrat Jevin Hodge in district that contains more Republican voters.

Like in the 1^st Congressional District, Arizona’s 2^nd Congressional District has a Republican primary that is still too close to call. Six candidates are facing off for the chance to take on pro-abortion Congressman Tom O’Halleran. In the redistricting process, O’Halleran lost a significant amount of his Democratic base, and he will face steep odds to hold onto his seat. The Cook Political Report categorizes the race as Likely Republican. Currently leading the pack on the Republican side is combat veteran and small business owner Eli Crane, who is also a strong pro-life advocate. 

Pro-abortion Congressman Greg Stanton in Arizona’s 4^th Congressional District is also facing a tough general election to hold onto his seat. Due to redistricting, the partisan breakdown of the district is virtually even, handing an opening to a Republican to unseat the Democrat incumbent. The Republican primary remains too close to call but currently Kelly Cooper, a former Marine and restaurant owner, is in the lead while his closest competitor is trailing him by about 5 points. In contrast to Stanton’s voting record supporting abortion on demand for any reason until birth, Cooper supports protections for unborn children and their mothers, and he opposes the use of tax dollars to pay for abortions.

In Arizona’s 6^th Congressional District, the retirement of pro-abortion Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick and the drawing of new district boundaries with a partisan lean of R+7 have made this race a prime pickup opportunity for Republicans. The Cook Political Report has labeled the race as Lean Republican. Juan Ciscomani, who is pro-life, secured the Republican nomination on Tuesday evening. He will face off against pro-abortion Democrat Kirsten Engel. Engel supports a policy of abortion on demand for any reason until birth, and she would use Americans’ tax dollars to pay for it. She is supported by EMILY’s List, the radical pro-abortion fundraising giant which pours money into the campaigns of female Democrats who subscribe to their abortion-without-limits ideology. 

Kansas
Incumbent Kansas Senator Jerry Moran officially secured the Republican nomination for another term in the U.S. Senate. 

Pro-life Republican Derek Schmidt, who has served as Kansas Attorney General since 2011, won the Republican primary for Governor. His strong record of standing up for life stands in stark contrast to incumbent Governor Laura Kelly, who supports a policy of abortion on demand for any reason until birth and using tax dollars to pay for abortions. The Cook Political Report ranks this race as a Tossup. 

In November, Republicans have a great opportunity to oust pro-abortion Congresswoman Sharice Davids and flip the 3^rd Congressional District in Kansas. On Tuesday, GOP voters selected former Congressional candidate Amanda Adkins, who is pro-life, as their nominee. Adkins also ran against Davids in 2020 but fell short by just a few points. Since then, the redistricting process modified the district lines, and the new 3^rd Congressional District now has a partisan lean of R+3 giving an advantage to Adkins. 

Michigan

Tudor Dixon, a strong pro-life advocate, was declared the winner in the Michigan Governor race. Dixon’s dedication to protecting unborn children and their mothers stands in stark contrast to pro-abortion incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. As governor, Whitmer has been an unfortunate roadblock to enacting life-saving legislation in Michigan. The Cook Political Report ranks the race as Leans Democrat but now that Dixon can pivot her focus completely to the general election, it’s game on.

In the Republican primary for Michigan’s 3^rd Congressional District, incumbent Congressman Peter Meijer was defeated by challenger John Gibbs, the former Assistant to the Secretary of HUD under President Trump. Both are pro-life. The race is rated Leans Democrat by the Cook Political Report. Gibbs has room to grow his base of support as the Republican Party unites behind him as the nominee. This race will continue to be one to watch. 

In Michigan’s 7^th Congressional District, which now has a partisan lean of R+4 after redistricting, Pro-life Michigan State Senator Tom Barrett officially became the Republican nominee to take on pro-abortion incumbent Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin in the general election. Slotkin has an abysmal 0% voting record with National Right to Life. She supports a policy of abortion on demand for any reason until birth and using tax dollars to pay for it. The Cook Political Report lists this race as a Tossup.

In Michigan’s 8^th District, Republican nominee Paul Junge will take on pro-abortion incumbent Congressman Daniel Kildee in a race also considered a pure tossup. The partisan lean of the district after redistricting is now R+1. Paul Junge is a strong advocate for life while Rep. Kildee holds a 0% voting record with National Right to Life. Kildee supports a policy of abortion on demand for any reason until birth and using tax dollars to pay for it.

Missouri
One of the most spirited primaries of the 2022 election cycle came to a close on Tuesday with Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt winning the Republican nomination for Senate. He will face pro-abortion Democrat nominee Trudy Busch Valentine in the November general election. As attorney general, Schmitt has been crucial ally to the pro-life movement. Busch Valentine, on the other hand, supports a policy of abortion on demand for any reason until birth, and she would use Americans’ tax dollars to pay for it.

Washington

In Washington, pro-abortion Senator Patty Murray (D) and pro-life Republican Tiffany Smiley advanced from the state’s open primary for U.S. Senate. The two will go head-to-head in the November general election. It would be seismic event if a Republican were able to unseat Senator Murray, but some political observers have pointed to several factors working in Smiley’s favor such as Murray’s low approval ratings, sinking numbers for President Biden, more and more voters saying the country is headed in the wrong direction, as well as Smiley’s compelling personal story as a military wife who took on the federal government to get her husband quality care at the VA. 

In Washington’s 3^rd Congressional District, early results show incumbent Republican Congresswoman Jaime Herrera-Beutler and pro-abortion Democrat Marie Perez as the top two vote-getters in the open primary. The race remains too early to call. A not too far distant third is conservative veteran Joe Kent, who also attempted to defeat Herrera-Beutler in the 2020 primary. Both Herrera-Beutler and Kent support protections for unborn children and their mothers and oppose taxpayer funding of abortion. However, Perez supports a policy of abortion on demand for any reason until birth and using tax dollars to pay for it.

In Washington’s 8^th Congressional District, pro-abortion incumbent Congresswoman Kim Schrier has qualified to advance to the general election. Competing against her on the November ballot will likely be one of three Republicans; Matt Larkin, Reagan Dunn, or Jesse Jensen, the 2020 candidate who nearly defeated her last cycle. No official call has been made. In redistricting, the 8^th District was drawn with an even number of Democrats and Republicans, making it a true swing district. The Cook Political Report puts this race in the Tossup