Abortion-Rights Opponent, Virginia Del. Marshall To Run For Republican Nomination For U.S. Senate

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 10 Jan 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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Virginia Del. Robert Marshall (R), an abortion-rights opponent, on Monday announced that he will run for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, the Washington Post reports. Marshall said his opposition to abortion rights is the main reason he decided to run against former Gov. James Gilmore (R) (Craig, Washington Post, 1/8). Gilmore supports women's access to abortion during the first eight weeks of pregnancy, although he personally opposes abortion, Gilmore spokesperson Ana Gamonal said (Whitley, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1/8).

Gilmore and Marshall are running for the seat of retiring Sen. John Warner (R). Former Gov. Mark Warner (D) is the only announced Democratic candidate for the seat (Washington Post, 1/8). "I am the only candidate in this race who will protect -- and as is defended by my public record -- the right to life of unborn children," Marshall said. He added, "I don't condemn [Gilmore]. I just don't think that with those positions, [he] can possibly gather the support, the energy, the enthusiasm, the dedication of the necessary element of the Reagan coalition to win against Mark Warner." According to the AP/WTOP, Marshall in the current state legislative session has sponsored three measures dealing with abortion, including one that would ban the procedure in Virginia if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade (Lewis, AP/WTOP, 1/7).

Gamonal said that Gilmore is one of the "most proactive pro-life governors in history" (Washington Post, 1/8). She added that as governor, Gilmore was instrumental in the passage of a 24-hour waiting periods for women seeking the procedure and parental notification laws (Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1/8).

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