Politics

Four governors join the presidential field: Where do they stand on life?

By Rebecca Downs | July 27, 2015 , 06:58am

During this June and July, four sitting governors, all Republicans, declared their candidacy for the presidency. Let’s took a look at where they stand on life.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal

On June 24, Governor Bobby Jindal announced his candidacy. His state of Louisiana was ranked the most pro-life state by Americans United for Life for 2015, and has consistently been ranked the first or second state since 2009.

Jindal was elected governor in 2007 and since then, he has had quite the pro-life record – which has involved signing numerous pro-life pieces of legislation, including a 20-week ban on abortion.

On the federal 20-week ban, Jindal declared his support and spoke out against the bill’s delay in the U.S. House of Representatives back in January.

Last year, Jindal released his pro-life alternative to ObamaCare. A summary can be read here, and the full version here.

On July 14, Jindal’s campaign website posted a petition, “Protect Life,” stating, “Every life is sacred. And every life should be protected. I’ll fight every day to protect the sanctity of human life.”

Bobby Jindal became one of the first public officials to react to the video from the Center for Medical Progress on Planned Parenthood’s fetal parts business. Jindal almost immediately issued an investigation in his state and ordered the construction of a Planned Parenthood facility in New Orleans to halt.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

On June 30, Governor Chris Christie announced his candidacy. Just the day before, he vetoed funding to Planned Parenthood for the sixth time.

On March 30, Susan B. Anthony List issued a news release indicating that the governor had declared his support for the federal 20-week ban on abortion.

Chris Christie was elected as governor in 2009, when he was pro-life, though he has not always held that position. Christie described himself as pro-choice until 1995, when he saw his daughter, Sarah, in an ultrasound:

Talking about his own views, Christie added: “As you all may know this is not an issue that I always understood nor was I always on your side. It is an issue I came to grow and learn about in a very personal way. My daughter Sarah will turn 15 in February. When I heard her heartbeat at three months in our doctor’s office, it was at that moment that it became clear to me that being on the sidelines on this issue was not something I could live with. I needed to speak out in favor of a very simple idea, that that child is a life which deserves protection.”

Christie reacted on Monday while in South Carolina to the first released video from the Center of Medical Progress. From NJ.com:

“Now, with the most recent revelation, there’s even more reason not to fund Planned Parenthood,” Christie said. “I’ve vetoed funding for Planned Parenthood and if I were president of the United States I would do exactly the same.”

For the 2012 presidential election, Christie advised Republican nominee Mitt Romney to pick a pro-life running mate and pointed out that the “Democratic Party won’t even let someone who’s pro-life speak at their convention.”

Chris Christie has had the distinction of being the first pro-life governor of New Jersey since Roe v. Wade.

Wisconsin Governor Scot Walker

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker

Governor Scott Walker declared his candidacy on July 13. Just days ago, he signed a state 20-week abortion ban into law, which does not contain exceptions for rape and incest and allows mothers and fathers to sue the abortionist for emotional distress.

Walker has also signed a bill requiring abortionists to perform an abdominal ultrasound before an abortion, and for abortionists to have admitting privileges at hospitals.

While Walker has drawn some concern about his pro-life views, he has recently stated his commitment to the pro-life issue and has had the support from Wisconsin Right to Life as governor.

When Walker recently referred to ultrasound images as “cool,” he drew deceptive and false criticism from the pro-abortion media.

On July 16, Walker appeared on The Kelly File and responded to the first video released by the Center for Medical Progress:

Years ago, when I first became governor of the state of Wisconsin, my first budget, I defunded Planned Parenthood. I took some attacks from some in the media, and some in the left. But this video’s just a prime example, this is not a noncontroversial entity. This is obviously a disturbing, disgusting act that they’re talking about. We’ve outlawed that in Wisconsin in the past. We need to be defunding Planned Parenthood, not only state by state, but I think, across the country. And instead, put resources into women’s health issues, but put them into non-controversial entities, public health entities, or other things in that regard.

Walker was elected governor in 2010. He became the first governor in U.S. history to survive a recall election in 2012 and was re-elected in 2014.

Like Christie, Walker has communicated his support for a federal 20-week abortion ban to the Susan B. Anthony List.

Ohio Governor John Kasich

Ohio Gov. John Kasich

John Kasich became the latest GOP candidate to join the presidential race when he announced on July 13.

Since Kasich has served as governor, Ohio’s abortion rate has dropped to an all-time low, and several of the state’s abortion businesses have closed. Kasich recently signed a pro-life budget on July 1, which could close even more abortion businesses.

Kasich served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983-2001. During that time he held a 100 percent rating from the National Right to Life Committee.

During Kasich’s candidacy for governor, NARAL Pro-Choice America created its own page on him. According to the pro-abortion group, Kasich cast 118 “anti-choice” votes on abortion. He certainly is not popular with Planned Parenthood either.

On July 15, Kasich tweeted to Planned Parenthood about the video released from the Center for Medical Progress, calling it “abhorrent” and saying that “life is sacred.” Kasich believes that “[v]iolations should be fully prosecuted.” An issued statement communicated similar sentiments.

The first GOP presidential debate, where the top 10 polling candidates will appear, is just weeks away, on August 6. Live Action News will continue to provide coverage.

The list of candidates include the following, in order of their announcements. Click on any name to find out their position and record on abortion.