The 2001 Virginia Election results were a mixed blessing for the pro-life cause. On the one hand, it was a major disappointment that stalwart pro-life candidate Mark Earley, the former Virginia Attorney General and state senator for ten years, lost the gubernatorial race to pro-abortion Mark Warner; and that pro-life Jay Katzen lost the Lt. Governor race to Tim Kaine.

On the other hand, the election of twelve new identified pro-life members to the one hundred member House of Delegates is remarkable. Add to this the happy feat that the pro-life new attorney general, Jerry Kilgore, was the biggest vote getter of the 2001 elections, winning his election by receiving over 123,000 more votes than Mark Warner. All but one pro-life incumbent won reelection, including Del. Vance Wilkins, Speaker of the House.

Of the 36 House candidates endorsed by the VSHL Political Action Committee (VSHL PAC), reported in the last issue of the Lifesaver (see article), 31 won election. Of these, three actually beat incumbents, a feat not often accomplished in Virginia. These three are Charles W. Carrico of Fries in the 5th District, Dave Nutter of Blacksburg in the 7th, and Winsome Earle Sears in the 90th. They replace Delegates John H. Tate, James M. Shuler, and William P. Robinson respectively.

Perhaps the most interesting race was the last of these, in Norfolk, which has gained national attention. Winsome Sears defeated a 20-year pro-abortion incumbent to become the first Republican black woman to sit in the General Assembly, and the first foreign-born woman as well. Born in Jamaica, she came to the U.S. when she was 6 years old. At age 18, after graduating early and with honors from high school, she spent three years in the Marines. She has since married, raised three girls and gone on to undergraduate and graduate studies. Delegate Elect Winsome Sears is solidly pro-life.

Another close election was in the 68th House District where pro-life candidate Brad Marrs of Midlothian defeated Democrat Ed Barber and John Conrad, a Republican running as an Independent. Abortion was a major issue in the very competitive three-way race.

The election of 4th Congressional District pro-life Congressman Randy Forbes in June 2001 to the U.S House of Representatives set off a round of elections in Chesapeake. Pro-life Del. Harry Blevins was elected on September 4 to the Virginia Senate to fill former State Senator Forbes’ vacant seat. This left a vacant seat in the 78th House District, which was won on Nov. 6 by pro-life John Cosgrove when he defeated pro-abortion candidate Jo Ann Huskey.

Since the November 6 elections, two additional General Assembly seats have been filled. Del. Creigh Deeds won the December 18 special election to fill the state senate seat of Emily Couric of Charlottesville who died of cancer. In a special election January 8, Del. Deeds’ vacant house seat in district 12 was won by pro-abortion former Del. Jim Shuler. The 2002 General Assembly convened January 9.

Published in VSHL Lifesaver, January 2002