Marshall Criticizes Delegates' Support For Gilmore In Va. Senate Race Despite Abortion Position

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 26 Mar 2008 - 6:00 PST

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Virginia Del. Robert Marshall (R) last week criticized two delegates for endorsing former Gov. James Gilmore (R) in the state's Republican U.S. Senate primary despite Gilmore's view that abortion should be permitted in the first eight weeks of pregnancy, the Washington Times reports. Gilmore, Marshall and Robert Berry are running for the Republican nomination for the seat of retiring Sen. John Warner (R). Former Gov. Mark Warner is the likely Democratic nominee for the seat.

Gilmore last year said he was not opposed to abortions performed during the first eight weeks of pregnancy. "There has to be some time for the baby to form in the womb, which I think happens at eight weeks," he said, adding that after eight weeks, "abortion should be limited except to save the life of the mother." Marshall said he does not understand how Dels. Scott Lingamfelter (R) and Jeffrey Frederick (R) could say Gilmore "supports the sanctity of life." Lingamfelter has said that he is supporting Gilmore because he is "a friend" and that Lingamfelter promised his support to Gilmore before Marshall announced he would run.

Marshall has called himself the "authentic pro-life" candidate and has said that people opposed to abortion rights "will sit on their hands" if Gilmore is the Republican nominee. Gilmore said his campaign has the "support of a large number of pro-life leaders" in the state, adding that abortion is the "only thing" Marshall "has run on in any serious way." Gilmore added that as governor he helped pass a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking abortions, enacted a statewide ban on so-called "partial-birth" abortion and pushed legislation requiring minors seeking abortions to notify their parents.

Chris Freund, spokesperson for the Virginia Family Foundation, said the antiabortion community "appreciated" the legislation that was passed while Gilmore was governor but that the group would like to see whether Gilmore "would be willing to take a position that is closer in line with ours." Freund said that there "are not too many legislators who more passionately fight" for antiabortion issues than Marshall (McLaughlin, Washington Times, 3/21).

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