Political Action Committee assesses election 2002
The RLM-PAC is incredibly successful once again

Because of the support, dedication and enthusiasm of prolife people during the election, the right to life message will be advanced at the local, state and federal levels of government. A climate of life will continue as we work together.

While very disappointed with the results at the “top of the ticket,” the Right to Life of Michigan Political Action Committee (RLM-PAC) has every reason to be pleased with overall results of the 2002 election. In taking 232 races out of a total of 275 endorsed candidates on the federal, state and local levels, the RLM-PAC ended with an overall “success” rate of 84.4 percent, one of the highest figures in recent years.

The fact that Governor-elect Granholm had a distinct lack of “skirttails” can be seen in her failure to help carry other statewide Democrat candidates, including Secretary of State and Attorney General. RLM-PAC-endorsed Terri Lynn Land won the Secretary of State race in a “Land-slide.” Land garnered more than 370,000 more votes than her opponent, “Butch” Hollowell. In the Attorney General race, prolifer Mike Cox prevailed over pro-abortion candidate Gary Peters.

In the race for United States Senate, Rep. Andrew Rocky Raczkowski made a valiant run at long-serving incumbent pro-abortion Senator Carl

Levin in spite of a significant lack of funds. Rocky’s strong prolife stand, energetic style and eternal optimism were refreshing to all prolifers who heard him speak.

All prolifers can be proud of the record compiled by both Dick Posthumus and Rocky Raczkowski during their many years of service. They have stood 100 percent for the unborn.

Is there any lesson to be learned?

One huge lesson is based on the final closeness of the gubernatorial race. On the final weekend, most public opinion polls had Granholm winning by double-digits. The final score: 51 percent to 47 percent. Far tighter than most imagined. If less than 65,000 people had switched their gubernatorial votes – we would have a prolife governor.

This year’s election is history - but let us learn a valuable lesson. We cannot - we MUST not - listen to the media, the pollsters, the doom and gloomsters. The unborn deserve our hard work right up through election day - and then our prolife vote ON election day. Complacency can be our greatest enemy.

Apart from the gubernatorial and senate races, the RLM-PAC concluded a very successful election.

In the state House, 70 of 81 endorsed candidates won election (86.4 percent), an increase of three seats from the 2000 elections.

In the state Senate, 23 of 27 endorsed candidates won (85.2 percent), maintaining a prolife majority in the 38-seat chamber.

Locally, 82 of 94 endorsed candidates won (87.2 percent), a stunning success and the “training ground” for potential state legislators as term-limited officeholders can no longer run.

On the congressional front, 9 of 10 endorsed candidates won, resulting in a prolife majority in the Michigan congressional delegation.

It’s true, complacency can by our greatest enemy, however, it is good to evaluate our opponents – those who work to promote abortion. According to the Washington Times, “NARAL, the nation’s leading abortion lobby, lost 18 of its 19 officially designated key elections.”

The Washington Post printed this from EMILY’s List leader before the general election, “We are huge,” declared Ellen R. Malcolm, president and founder of the group, which backs pro-abortion-rights Democrats. “We are the biggest fund-raiser of ‘hard money’ other than the parties in the country.”

EMILY’s List may be “huge,” but 17 of the 22 candidates sponsored by EMILY’s List were defeated.

To those who worked tirelessly - from doing literature drops to posting yard signs to passing out ballots at the polls to “adopting five, or six or more” to voting for RLM-PAC endorsed prolife candidates – Thank You! Your work will encourage a climate of life in Michigan. A climate which will welcome children and help families.

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