“Virginians in the 4th Congressional District have a real opportunity to add a pro-life voice and vote to the U.S. House of Representatives on June 19,” according to Catherine Driscoll, chairman of the Virginia Society for Human Life Political Action Committee (VSHL PAC). “Randy Forbes has a solid pro-life voting record in the Virginia General Assembly and will continue that record in the Congress,” she continued.

She noted that Republican State Senator Forbes was the chief patron of the Woman’s Right to Know Bill, also known as Informed Consent, in the 2001 General Assembly. He proved both his pro-life commitment and his skill as a legislator by steering the bill to passage without change, despite many attempts by pro-abortion legislators to weaken it or kill it altogether. Senator Forbes also was chief patron and negotiator on the Patient Autonomy Protection Act that passed and became law last year.

His Democratic opponent, State Senator Louise Lucas, has a strong pro-abortion voting record. With the exception of the bill banning partial-birth abortions, which she patroned and supported in 1998, she has voted consistently against every pro-life initiative. This year, she opposed the Woman’s Right to Know bill and also the Feticide bill (see the Lifesaver, April 2001). In previous years, she opposed parental notification for minors before an abortion and the licensing of abortion clinics.

The special election on June 19 will fill the vacancy created by the death of Representative Norman Sisisky, who had a pro-abortion voting record.

VSHL PAC uses a number of factors in determining its endorsements, including responses to a comprehensive questionnaire on pro-life issues, in addition to the voting records of the candidates.