Past and present Senate candidates from Montana: on Abortion

Jon Tester: No 20-week ban on abortion

Q: Abortion: Mostly ban or mostly legal?

Matt Rosendale (R): Ban. "I do not believe in abortion. I do not believe that you should provide for any exceptions."

Jon Tester (D): Legal. Opposed post-20 week ban. Sponsored bill prohibiting medically unnecessary requirements on abortion services.

Q: Let Planned Parenthood receive public funds for non-abortion health care?

Matt Rosendale (R): No. Praised Trump's support for defunding.

Jon Tester (D): Yes. Support access to family planning services, preventive care & "life-saving cancer screenings."

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Montana Senate race Oct 9, 2018

Matt Rosendale: No abortion; no exceptions

Q: Abortion: Mostly ban or mostly legal?

Matt Rosendale (R): Ban. "I do not believe in abortion. I do not believe that you should provide for any exceptions."

Jon Tester (D): Legal. Opposed post-20 week ban. Sponsored bill prohibiting medically unnecessary requirements on abortion services.

Q: Let Planned Parenthood receive public funds for non-abortion health care?

Matt Rosendale (R): No. Praised Trump's support for defunding.

Jon Tester (D): Yes. Support access to family planning services, preventive care & "life-saving cancer screenings."

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Montana Senate race Oct 9, 2018

Albert Olszewski: Defend unborn children without exception

I believe in the dignity and value of all human life from conception to natural death, without exception. I have authored original legislation to protect and defend unborn children. I have championed legislation to promote the welfare and safety of our elderly, our disabled, and our families. As your next senator, I will continue to fight for the weak and our most vulnerable. Source: 2018 Montana Senatorial website AlForSenate.us Oct 1, 2017

Albert Olszewski: All human life needs to be protected

Matt Rosendale: Against abortion in all circumstances

Rosendale opposes abortion, without exception: "I support life from conception until natural death." Source: KPAX-8 Missoula on 2018 Montana Senate race Jul 31, 2017

Amanda Curtis: 100% pro-choice voting record

NARAL Pro-Choice America and NARAL Pro-Choice Montana issued a statement congratulating the Montana Democratic Party for having made "a strong choice in nominating Amanda Curtis as the next Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate." Curtis, we learn, "has a 100% pro-choice voting record with NARAL Pro-Choice Montana." Source: LifeNews.com on 2014 Montana Senate race Aug 20, 2014

Champ Edmunds: Human life begins at conception

Question topic: Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.

Edmunds: Strongly Agree

Question topic: Should abortion be allowed under extenuating circumstances? If so, what circumstances?

Edmunds: I am not sure what circumstance would justify killing a baby.

Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 Montana Senate race Jul 2, 2014

Steve Daines: No exceptions for rape nor incest, but no criminalization

A TV ad in Montana says Rep. Steve Daines--who opposes abortion rights--"proposed making women criminals for having an abortion." But the bill that the ad cites as evidence expressly bars "the prosecution of any woman for the death of her unborn child."

The ad was released May 20 by Montana Sen. John Walsh's campaign. The two men differ greatly on the issue of abortion: Walsh supports abortion rights, and Daines opposes abortion even in cases of rape and incest. This ad, titled "Melissa," features a woman who says she was raped as a 14-year-old girl and feels insulted by Daines. Melissa says, "Daines sponsored a bill to make abortion illegal for victims of sexual assault. He's even proposed making women criminals for having an abortion."

It's true that Daines "opposes abortion in all instances except life of mother," as his spokesman told us. But the ad goes too far. He has not "proposed making women criminals for having an abortion."

Source: FactCheck.org AdWatch on 2014 Montana Senate race May 22, 2014

John Walsh: Opposes extremism like declaring life begins at conception

Walsh called Daines an extreme opponent of abortion rights, saying he opposes abortion even in cases of rape or incest and co-sponsored a bill Walsh said would ban abortion and outlaw birth-control pills.

Walsh also noted Daines' support of HR 1091, which declares that human life begins at conception and extends the rights of equal protection under the 14th Amendment to "each born and preborn human person." The bill was introduced a year ago and has seen no action in a House subcommittee.

Source: Ravalli Republic on 2014 Montana Senate race Mar 9, 2014

John Bohlinger: 2001: Supported Fetal Protection Act & partial-birth ban

Democratic Senate candidate John Bohlinger supported some legislation to restrict abortion rights in Montana but has votes that don't match his rhetoric.

Bohlinger wrote on his Facebook wall that he "consistently voted for a woman's right to choose" while a state legislator, according to The liberal Montana blog Intelligent Disconnect. That blog argues that isn't true, pointing to a low lifetime score from the NARAL Pro-Choice Montana group and a number of votes he took in the legislature. Bohlinger, who served as a Republican in the statehouse and alongside Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D) before switching parties for this campaign, voted for the "Fetal Protection Act" in 2001, as well as for laws to ban partial-birth abortion and for parental consent requirements for teenagers to be able to get abortions in Montana.

Source: C.Joseph in The Hill, on 2014 Montana Senate debate Nov 12, 2013

John Bohlinger: Supreme Court decided the issue; state cannot overturn it

[When running at the state level as a Republican], a legal complaint Bohlinger filed disputed a claim from a GOP primary opponent that he was "for abortion": "I have never stated I was for abortions. Abortion is a poor choice, we should prevent the pregnancy or work for adoption. The abortion question does not belong in the Montana Legislature, because the US Supreme Court has ruled that in this country, abortions are legal. In spite of what we may personally think about the question, the Montana Legislature will not be able to overturn a Supreme Court decision," he wrote in the legal filing. Source: C.Joseph in The Hill, on 2014 Montana Senate debate Nov 12, 2013

The above quotations are from Winners and Losers Senate candidates from Montana. 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)
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Page last updated: Feb 23, 2019