The pro-life movement enjoyed some important victories on election night this week. Many see the results as a blueprint for success moving forward.
Ten states voted on abortion ballot measures. Pro-Life voices came out on top in three of those states, despite being outspent by the abortion industry six to one.
Voters in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Florida rejected calls to expand abortion access, thereby keeping restrictions in place.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America State Policy Director Katie Daniel told CBN News the wins are significant.
"We were thrilled to see some great victories this year," she said.
Outspoken pro-life politicians in those states deserve much of the credit. In South Dakota, Sen. John Thune, Rep. Dusty Johnson, and Gov. Kristi Noem strongly supported their measure. Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts and Gov. Jim Pillen did the heavy lifting in that states. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis went the extra mile to defeat Amendment 4, which called for an expansion of abortion rights to overturn the state's heartbeat law.
"He traveled around the state, he fund-raised on behalf of the pro-life cause and made the case directly to Floridians about why Amendment 4 was so dangerous, why it was so extreme, and why it would 'California' our Florida laws," Daniel said.
The strategy of involving elected leaders who are not afraid to openly endorse pro-life ballot initiatives will likely be used in future elections, whether it's in states that haven't voted on abortion yet, or ones that may consider them again, such as Missouri, where Tuesday's results that approved Amendment 3, which expanded abortion access, were razor thin.
"Just 51 percent voted for that initiative, with $30 million spent lying about what it was about," Daniel said. "Of course, it's a tragedy because there are babies who will lose their lives because this passed in Missouri. But it shows us that if we can get our leaders in the game if we can go back to the voters and directly communicate about what Amendment 3 did, we have the opportunity to overturn it in the future."
Meanwhile, abortion activists are touting their wins in Maryland, Missouri, Arizona, Colorado, New York, Montana, and Nevada on Tuesday. Jenny Lawson, Planned Parenthood Action Fund Vice President of Organizing and Engagement Campaigns issued a statement saying, "Banning abortion and restricting access to essential care is a losing issue. Voters chose freedom."
However, their message could alienate large numbers of Americans.
"Their version of America is one that is dark," Daniel said. "It's dis-empowering. They tell women there are a million reasons why you can't do it, why you need an abortion. The pro-life movement is offering something that is hopeful, that is empowering, that says, 'You can do it and we're going to walk alongside you.'"
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