Pro-life Momentum Remains Despite Albuquerque Loss

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 19, 2013
Contact:
Mallory Quigley, 703-380-6674

Pro-life Allies Outspent 4 to 1 in Landmark Municipal Ballot Initiative

Washington, D.C.  – On Tuesday, Albuquerque voters rejected a citizen-led effort to limit abortion after 20 weeks – more than halfway through pregnancy, and the point at which science shows the unborn child can feel pain. In response, the national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) released the following comment: 

“Months ago, most Albuquerque residents had no idea their city had become a national hub for late abortion. Local pro-life activists took action to educate their neighbors and ended up gathering 27,000 signatures – more than twice the amount necessary – for a city ballot initiative to stop late abortion,” said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “Planned Parenthood and other national pro-abortion groups, including Organizing for America, saw this spontaneous grassroots effort as a mortal threat and spent $1 million to defeat it.

 “Despite being outspent four to one, pro-life grassroots activists were able to educate thousands of citizens about fetal pain and the reality of late abortion. This was no small feat in a deep blue city that chose Barack Obama over Mitt Romney by a 15-point margin.

 “There remains growing national consensus that babies and women should be protected from dangerous late abortions after 20 weeks. Thirteen states and the U.S. House of Representatives have all passed similar protective legislation and the bill introduced this month by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) already has 40 Senate cosponsors. Polls show Americans are united in opposing this brutal practice and it is time the law reflects our natural recoil from this horror.”

In the final week, pro-life coalition activities included: 

  • $100,000 in television and online ads, including one featuring former abortionist turned pro-life OB/GYN Dr. Anthony Levatino of Santa Fe. Spots: “It’s common sense,” “Human Compassion Trumps Politics,” and “Take it from a real doctor
  • Election day-long GOTV radio campaign on country, Christian, and news/talk radio stations
  • 70,000+ early voting information mail pieces, 30,000+ absentee ballot applications mailed, 48,000 GOTV postcards
  • 77,000 pieces of literature encouraging early voting distributed throughout churches and parishes
  • 73,000 phone calls to identified pro-life voters made by volunteers
  • 2,700 yard signs distributed
  • Three full-page newspaper ads and two half-page ad in the Albuquerque Journal including one exposing the true risk to mothers in a late abortion procedure by showing informed consent forms women must sign before undergoing abortion
  • Live Action release of web video “Profits from Pain,” showing undercover footage of Albuquerque abortionists making at least $8,000 per late abortion and downplaying the brutality of the abortion procedure

The Susan B. Anthony List and its affiliated Political Action Committees, the SBA List Candidate Fund and Women Speak Out PAC, are dedicated to pursuing policies and electing candidates who will reduce and ultimately end abortion. To that end, the SBA List emphasizes the education, promotion, mobilization, and election of pro-life women at all levels of government.  The SBA List is a network of more than 365,000 pro-life Americans nationwide.

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