Endorsing Prolife Candidates

Right to Life of Michigan's efforts to be the voice, hands and feet of defenseless human beings takes three primary forms: education, legislation and political action. There are countless ways to embrace society with the truth of life and the reality that better choices can be made when women and families face an untimely pregnancy. Right to Life of Michigan brings people together of all ages, races, political persuasions, educational and economic levels, ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds to share their diverse talents in defense of human life.

RLM works in the areas of prolife education, legislation and political action to save lives. As another election year is approaching, the importance of understanding the political action process is critical.

The Right to Life of Michigan Political Action Committee (RLM-PAC) was established to make endorsements and support candidates for public office who have a commitment to the sanctity of human life. In doing so, those charged with making endorsements are guided by a strict set of specific criteria carefully developed and fine-tuned by many years of election experience.

The RLM-PAC bylaws are concerned only with the election of the strongest and most effective voices for the unborn and elderly frail. There is no other agenda which drives the RLM-PAC. In making endorsements, the RLM-PAC realizes that its decisions may not always be popular with that segment of the electorate whose preferred candidate was not selected; however, the RLM-PAC's mission is not directed toward popularity.

The RLM-PAC bylaws require a non-partisan stance, meaning both Democrats and Republicans have an equal opportunity to be endorsed. Since the PAC's objective is to elect the strongest and most effective voice for the unborn, its focus is limited to candidates from the two major parties since candidates from other parties are rarely elected or, if they are, have little influence on public policy.

With the exception of statewide elections, all endorsements begin at the local level. The RLM-PAC solicits help from the various affiliate members throughout the state to form local PAC sub-committees to interview candidates.

All candidates begin their endorsement process by completing a Candidate Questionnaire and going before a local PAC interview team. This local team queries the candidates on our basic issues of abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide and infanticide, confirming their agreement with RLM-PAC principles, probing for any areas of discrepancy or contradiction and trying to ascertain the candidate's electability.

The RLM-PAC endorsement - or non-endorsement - of a candidate can depend on several factors according to the bylaws:

1) The Incumbent Policy: A prolife incumbent, endorsed in his/her most recent election, with a prolife voting record as maintained by the Lansing legislative office since the preceding election and a completed prolife Candidate Questionnaire, must be endorsed regardless of the opponent. Only the endorsed incumbent will be listed on our endorsed candidate "ballots."

2) The RLM-PAC bylaws have no exceptions to abortion other than life of the mother. If a candidate has any other exceptions, he/she will not be considered for endorsement.

3) The candidate must agree to a Human Life Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, effectively bestowing "personhood" on the unborn baby.

4) Many elections involve "open seats" where there is no incumbent and multiple candidates. There may be several qualified prolife candidates and one or more pro-abortion candidates. If there is at least one viable pro-abortion candidate, the local PAC subcommittee is charged with selecting only ONE prolife candidate for endorsement - the one they deem the strongest and most electable. The purpose is to try to unite the prolife vote behind one candidate, thereby preventing a split prolife vote and allowing the pro-abortion candidate to win.

5) A candidate may be deemed to be prolife, but totally unelectable. For example, a prolife Republican may be running in a district which votes overwhelmingly for the Democrat in every election. As strong and influential as the RLM-PAC is perceived to be, the PAC would be unable to help a prolife candidate in circumstances such as this. In order to help candidates in areas where we can have some influence on the election, the RLM-PAC must use its limited resources in those "can-do" districts.

There may be other instances in which an endorsement may or may not be made. However, the examples given above cover the vast majority of cases. It is up to the individual voters to look at the races in their local areas, study the candidates and vote according to their consciences.

The RLM-PAC tries to give our supporters some guidance as to those candidates we believe to be the strongest and most effective voices for the unborn. While we want people to remember that the RLM-PAC endorsements are merely one organization's evaluation of the candidates, we also believe that our track record over the years has proven our effectiveness in electing strong prolife leaders for public office. We challenge all voters to look carefully at their candidates for public office - and then carefully consider voting for the RLM-PAC endorsed prolife candidates.

If you have any questions about the political action process, please contact the Right to Life of Michigan Political Action Director Larry Galmish at the State Central Office, 2340 Porter SW / PO Box 901, Grand Rapids, MI 49509, or call Mr. Galmish at (616) 532-2300.

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