Colorado Republican Senator Cory Gardner has been endorsed by a powerful national anti-abortion organization as he faces an uphill battle for reelection to the U.S. Senate in November.
Gardner, who has opposed abortion rights throughout his political career, was endorsed by the Susan B. Anthony List’s Candidate Fund PAC partly due to his “100% pro-life voting record,” the organization said in a press release.
“We are proud to endorse Senator Cory Gardner, who has earned an ‘A’ rating on our scorecard thanks to his 100% pro-life voting record,” said the Honorable Marilyn Musgrave, SBA List’s Vice President of Government Affairs, in a press release. “This year alone, Senator Gardner has cast votes in favor of limiting late-term abortions and protecting babies born alive after failed abortions. These are commonsense, compassionate pieces of legislation that the majority of Americans agree should be passed. Governor Hickenlooper is a pro-abortion extremist and is out of touch with the voters in his state. We are confident Colorado voters will reject Democratic abortion extremism and will vote to re-elect Senator Gardner.”
SBA List did not return an email seeking more details on its decision to endorse Gardner, including whether Gardner’s silence on a Colorado ballot initiative to ban abortion at 22 weeks factored into their decision or if their organization requires that endorsed candidates support for fetal personhood, which gives legal rights to fertilized eggs and fetuses. Gardner notoriously distanced himself from his record of support of fetal personhood during his first Senate campaign.
The SBA List PAC, one of the nation’s most formidable anti-abortion political machines, recently pledged $52 million in support of President Donald Trump’s reelection bid.
SBA List has a history of supporting extreme and controversial candidates, including Missouri Congressional candidate Todd Akin, who claimed that women don’t get pregnant from “legitimate rape” because their bodies can mysteriously “shut that whole thing down,” and Indiana Senate Candidate Richard Mourdock, who said, “I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that’s something God intended to happen” during a debate.
Defending Mourdock, SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said at the time, “Richard Mourdock said that life is always a gift from God, and we couldn’t agree more.” Of Akin, she said, “Congressman Akin has been an excellent partner in the fight for the unborn.”
Gardner faces a challenge from former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, who supports abortion rights.
