Why Endorse in Down Ballot Races?
Not all elected positions have direct implications on the unborn or patients languishing in Texas hospitals. So why would Texas Right to Life endorse in such races?
Acknowledging the right to LIFE of all humans as a basic human right plus the attendant dedication to preserving LIFE marks character that can be trusted on other matters and shows a moral compass pointed in the right direction. A candidate who will protect innocent human life will also protect other faith and freedoms.
Furthermore, many down-ballot candidates eventually seek higher offices later in their careers. When these same candidates have demonstrated Pro-Life views long-before such views are politically strategic, this signals to Texas Right to Life the commitment to ending abortion, protecting patients, and helping women.
Texas Right to Life PAC strives to consider all candidates who reach out to us (within stated deadlines.) To earn our highly-coveted endorsement, each candidate must, at a minimum, return a completed issues questionnaire and participate in a personal interview with the board of Texas Right to Life.
Additionally, some seemingly unrelated offices do impact the Pro-Life cause.
For example, county commissioners who oversee hospital districts within their county can help ensure tax dollars do not fund abortion-related entities. County commissioners can also impact constables and some law enforcement branches so that officers are assigned—or not—to abortion clinics or how EMT workers are advised to calls from emergency clinics.
Members of local school boards often decide what entity will provide the sex ed curriculum in the schools, and many school boards have successfully driven Planned Parenthood out of these contracts.
Lower court judges rule on whether a secret abortion is in the best interest of a minor, and district attorneys are responsible for prosecuting abortionists who break the laws passed by a state legislature. Voters benefit from knowing the views, and particularly the Pro-Life views, of every office-seeker.
Candidates and public officials whose names appear way down the ballot far after the better-known races are still in charge with writing and implementing departmental policies relevant to the myriad LIFE issues. Thus, a view that human life should be respected at all stages can impact implementation of Pro-Life laws at a very practical level.
Besides, Planned Parenthood and friends are endorsing and putting money into these races. The abortion advocates see the value in these races whereas Pro-Lifers have historically and myopically focused on the statewide and legislative races. The Pro-Life vote is just as important in local races as in the statewide races.