2016 WA Senate race: on Abortion


Chris Vance: Keep existing Washington state law on abortion rights

GOP candidate Chris Vance has staked out moderate positions on immigration, supporting the so-called Gang of Eight Senate compromise that was killed by conservatives in the House. It would have improved border security while giving undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship. He has also pledged not to vote for federal laws that would overturn Washington state law on abortion rights, marriage equality and legal marijuana.
Source: Seattle Times on 2016 Washington Senate race Jul 23, 2016

Chris Vance: Not running to change laws on abortion

[Democrats labeled him a "partisan extremist"; so] Vance says he's not running to change laws on abortion, same-sex marriage or marijuana. Instead, he says his top priority is debt-reduction in the spirit of Obama's bipartisan commission on fiscal reform Vance says, "It is still the in my view the blueprint of what we need to do: we need to cap discretionary spending, we need pro-growth tax reform and we need to make changes in Social Security and Medicare in order to save Social Security and Medicare."
Source: KPLU News on 2016 Washington Senate race Sep 8, 2015

Patty Murray: Let women resolve with partner, doctor, and religion

On where she draws the line on abortion's legality, Murray says, "I believe this is an issue that should be resolved between a woman and her partner and her doctor and her religion. I do not believe the government should be dictating this decision. I can't think of a circumstance where the government should be telling a family what they should be doing on their own personal religious decisions."

Later, Murray's spokesman clarified that Murray was referring to the limitations of Roe v. Wade specifically, and has previously expressed willingness to support partial-birth abortion restrictions if they included protections for the life and health of the mother.

Source: Pacific Northwest Inlander on 2016 Washington Senate race May 12, 2015

  • The above quotations are from 2016 Washington Senate race: debates and news coverage.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Abortion.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
Candidates and political leaders on Abortion:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org!
Click for details -- or send donations to:
1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140
E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org
(We rely on your support!)

Page last updated: Dec 10, 2018