Washington, D.C.- Concerned Women for America President and CEO, Penny Nance, responds to the wave of conservative females elected in 2014 midterm elections:
“Let it settle in that the youngest woman elected to Congress is pro-life. The first African American Republican woman elected to Congress is pro-life. The first female veteran elected to the Senate is pro-life.
“Last night was a historical night for conservative women. Elise Stefanik of New York became the youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress, taking over a Democratic House seat in upstate New York. She won by a whopping 22 points. Mia Love of Utah became the first black Republican woman elected to Congress. Joni Ernst of Iowa became the first woman to represent Iowa, Iowa’s first female senator, and the first female veteran in the history of the U.S. Senate.
“The unifying factor? These women are Republicans, fiscally conservative, pro-life, strong on national security and successfully fought back against the phony ‘war on women’ rhetoric.
For those who have served in real war, it’s offensive. Particularly unfortunate for the poster girl for abortion rights and free stuff, Sandra Fluke, American women made their voices heard last night. Candidates that held up the ‘War on Women’ (Fluke, Davis, Udall) all lost.
Nance said: “As a conservative women’s organization, we also watched and applauded the courageous men who fought back against the ‘war on women’ messaging. Many won their races and won over women voters. Mitch McConnell bested Kentucky’s Democratic Secretary of State, Alison Lundergan Grimes, 50 percent to 47 percent among women, according to exit polls. U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) also had a 53 percent to 43 percent advantage among women against incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor. Women made up the majority of the midterm electorate in Arkansas with 52 percent of the vote. And conservative pro-lifer Thom Tillis ousted decidedly pro-abortion Kay Hagan in North Carolina.
“But Republicans may not be in the clear. Pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood gushed over pro-abortion candidates like Colorado’s Mark Udall and Texas’ Wendy Davis, making, according to them, two million phone calls and knocking on a million doors, and they are not likely stop. Abortion is their number one issue, and they will push for it time and again. Relishing their ability to elect the most pro-abortion president in 2012, they sought to use the same exact message in 2014, and it failed miserably. Wendy Davis, who entered the national scene for filibustering a hugely popular late-abortion ban, lost. Mark Udall, who’s “one-issue campaign” on birth control earned him the nickname “Mark Uterus” from even Colorado’s most liberal editorial boards, and he lost.
“Republicans must address the false narrative, particularly if Hillary Clinton is to run in 2016. Exit polls showed that voters were most worried about the economy. It is now up to ‘We the people,’ and our elected officials, who now make up a largely pro-life Senate, to demand ‘war no more.'”
Exit Polls to Notice:
- McConnell won a majority of female voters against Grimes.
- Wendy Davis lost 24-29-year-olds by 12 points.
- Wendy Davis lost by 20 points, and nearly one million votes. She lost women and particularly lost among white women.
For an interview with Penny Nance, please contact Alison Howard at ahoward@cwfa.org or 202-266-4816.
Concerned Women for America is the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization with 500,000 participating members across the country, over 450 Prayer/Action Chapters and Home Teams, 600 trained leaders, and over 30 years of service to our nation.