Virginia Society for Human Life Political Action Committee has announced its endorsements of candidates running for seats in the Virginia General Assembly election on Tuesday, November 6.

House of Delegates members representing 100 districts will be elected for two year terms. Forty members of the State Senate will be elected for four year terms which begin January 1, 2008.

According to VSHL Political Action Committee Chairman Mary Enochs, the PAC's policy is to consider five factors in deciding whether a candidate merits an endorsement:

• The responses to the VSHL questionnaire which is 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.
• A pro-life voting record, for incumbents;
• Public statements by candidates on life issues;
• Factors of the individual race, e.g., the position of the opponent on right to life issues, etc.;
• Pro-life incumbents are favored over pro-life challengers, if other factors are judged equal.

The political action committee is non-partisan, meaning that it does not favor one political party over another. Endorsements are almost always limited to major party candidates.

Voting records of incumbents may be found at VSHL's website, www.vshl.org.

Following is a compilation of 2007 endorsements provided to the Lifesaver by the VSHL PAC.

State Senate races:

• Patricia Stall (R) of Newport News in the 1st district
• Sen. Nick Rerras (R) of Norfolk in the 6th district
• Sen. Kenneth Stolle (R) of Virginia Beach in the 8th district
• Sen. Stephen Martin (R) of Chesterfield in the 11th district
• Sen. Walter Stosch (R) of Glen Allen in the 12th district
• Sen. Frank Ruff (R) of Clarksville in the 15th district
• Chris Yakabouski (R) of Fredericksburg in the 17th district
• Ralph Smith (R) of Troutville in the 22nd district
• Sen. Emmett Hanger (R) of Mt. Solon in the 24th district
• Sen. Mark Obenshain (R) of Harrisonburg in the 26th district
• Jill Holzman Vogel (R) of Warrenton in the 27th district
• Sen. Charles Colgan (D) of Nokesville in the 29th district
• Patricia Phillips (R) of Sterling in the 33rd district
• Sen. Kenneth Cuccinelli (R) of Faifax in the 37th district
• Sen. Phillip Puckett (D) of Lebanon in the 38th district
• Sen. J.K. "Jay" O'Brien (R) of Clifton in the 39th district

House of Delegate races:

• Del. Terry Kilgore (R) of Gate City in the 1st district
• Del. Charles Carrico (R) of Independence in the 5th district
• Del. David Nutter (R) of Christiansburg in the 7th district
• Charles Poindexter (R) of Glade Hill in the 9th district
• Del. Robert Marshall (R) of Manassas in the 13th district
• Del. Steve Landes (R) of Weyers Cave in the 25th district
• Del. Matthew Lohr (R) of Broadway in the 26th district
• Del. Scott Lingamfelter (R) of Woodbridge in the 31st district
• Del. Timothy Hugo (R) of Clifton in the 40th district
• Faisal Gill (R) of Woodbridge in the 51st district
• Del. Jeffrey Frederick (R) of Woodbridge in the 52nd district
• Del. Bill Janis (R) of Glen Allen in the 56th district
• Marc Cadin (R) of Oak Hill in the 67th district
• Manoli Loupassi (R) of Richmond in the 68th district
• Del. S. Chris Jones (R) of Suffolk in the 76th district
• Del. John A. Cosgrove (R) of Chesapeake in the 78th district
• Chris Stolle (R) of Virginia Beach in the 83rd district
• Del. Mark Cole (R) of Fredericksburg in the 88th district
• Del. Phillip Hamilton (R) of Newport News in the 93rd district
• Del. Glenn Oder (R) of Newport News in the 94th district
• Brenda Pogge (R) of Norge in the 96th district
• Del. Christopher Peace (R) in the 97th district

Published in VSHL Lifesaver, October, 2007