VSHL PAC Announces Candidate Endorsements

According to Mrs. Fastabend, the PAC uses 5 factors in deciding whether a candidate merits an endorsement:

• The responses to the VSHL questionnaire which was sent to all candidates. No endorsement will be made without a signed questionnaire affirming an overall pro-life position, even for incumbents with pro-life voting records. "We need to know where candidates stand on new legislative issues that come up each election cycle. Incumbents sometimes change their positions too,as can be seen from some of the voting records," noted Mrs. Fastabend.
• A pro-life voting record, for incumbents;
• Public statements by the candidate on life issues;
• Factors of the individual race, e.g., the position of the opponent on right-to-life issues, the viability of the candidate, etc.;
• Pro-life incumbents are favored over pro-life challengers, if all other factors above are judged equal.

While the PAC is non-partisan, meaning that it does not favor one political party over another, VSHL PAC was able to endorse only two pro-life Democrats. Although endorsements are almost always limited to major party candidates, the PAC did endorse the Independent Del. Lacey Putney.

Following is a compilation of endorsements as provided to the Lifesaver by the VSHL PAC. In cases where the endorsed candidate is running against an incumbent, the incumbent is also identified for clarity.

State Senate races:

Nick Rerras (R) of Norfolk (vs. Sen. Stanley Walker) in the 6th district
Sen. Ed Schrock (R) of Virginia Beach in the 7th
Sen. Steve Martin (R) of Richmond in the 11th
Sen. Fred Quayle (R) of Chesapeake in the 13th
Tommy Wright (R) of Victoria (vs. Sen. Richard Holland) in the 15th
Andrew M. "Mel" Sheridan, Jr. (R) of Kents Store (Fluvanna County) (vs. Sen. R. Edward Houck) in the 17th
Sen. Steve Newman (R) of Lynchburg in the 23rd
Sen. Charles Colgan (D) of Nokesville in the 29th
Sen. Bill Mims (R) of Leesburg in the 33rd
Dan Rinzel (R) of Alexandria in the 36th (vs. former Del. Toddy Puller)
Sen. William Wampler (R) of Bristol in the 40th.

House of Delegate races:

Terry Kilgore (R) of Gate City in the 1st district
Jack (Chip) Hurley (R) of Bluefield (vs. Del. John Tate) in the 5th
Barbara M. Chrisley (R) of Dublin in the 7th district
Del. Morgan Griffith (R) of Salem in the 8th district
Del. Allen Dudley (R) of Rocky Mount in the 9th
Del. Bob Marshall (R) of Manassas in the 13th
Del. Vic Thomas (D) of Roanoke in the 17th
Del. Lacey Putney (I) of Bedford in the 19th
Del. Kathy Byron (R) of Lynchburg in the 22nd
Del. Preston Bryant (R) of Lynchburg in the 23rd
Del. Steve Landes (R) of Weyers Cave in the 25th
Del. Sam Nixon (R) of Chesterfield in the 27th
Del. Jay Katzen (R) of Markham in the 31st
Del. Dick Black (R) of Sterling in the 32nd
Del. Vince Callahan (R) of McLean in the 34th
Stephen Smith (R) of Falls Church (vs. Del. Bob Hull) in the 38th
Chris Craig (R) of Springfield (vs. Del. Vivian Watts) in the 39th
Del. Michele McQuigg (R) of Woodbridge in the 51st
Del. Paul Harris (R) of Charlottesville for the 58th
Del. Frank Ruff (R) of Clarksville in the 61st
Thomas Gaskell (R) of Windsor (vs. Del. William Barlow) in the 64th
Del. Lee Ware (R) of Powhatan in the 65st
Del. Kirk Cox (R) of Colonial Heights in the 66th
Del. Roger McClure (R) of Centreville in the 67th
Terri Suit (R) of Virginia Beach (vs. Del. Glenn Croshaw) in the 81th
Del. Bob McDonnell (R) of Virginia Beach in the 84th
Rowena Fullinwider (R) of Norfolk (vs. Del. Tom Moss) in the 88th
Phil Larrabee (R) of Hampton in the 91st
Del. Phil Hamilton (R) of Newport News in the 93rd
Patricia Stall (R) of Newport News (vs. Del. Alan Diamonstein) in the 94th
Del. Jo Ann Davis (R) of Yorktown in the 96th
Henry Lane Hull (R) of Wicomico Church in the 99th.

Published in VSHL Lifesaver, October, 1999