June 2016 Pro-Life Candidates (Pre-Primary with regular updates)

Updated as of 6/26/2016. This post will continue to be updated all the way up to the June 28 primary date -- keep checking back. This list only includes Colorado legislative, congressional and US Senate candidates.

1) The 2016 Colorado Right to Life survey queries candidates on 7 pro-life issues, establishing their positions through specific language with no weasel-room.

2) Many candidates say they’re “pro-life” but mean something very different than what true pro-lifers mean. Please keep this in mind before supporting candidates who do not respond to the CRTL Questionnaire.

3) No candidate who supports abortion for any reason is "pro-life.” Regardless of what they may say, any truly pro-life citizen/candidate believes that government has an obligation to protect all human life from conception forward, and therefore pledge to oppose all abortion (with the understanding that a doctor may take action to save a woman’s life while also trying to save the baby’s life, even if the baby’s survival is doubtful due to other factors) – every innocent human being has an inalienable Right to Life at every age or stage of development.

Candidates for US Senate

Darryl Glenn (R) has pledged to be 100% pro-life according to answers to the CRTL survey.

Robert Blaha (R) says he's "100% pro-life" - he has said he opposes abortion even in cases of rape or incest (he says he would make an exception for the life of the mother, but CRTL holds that unless the doctor intentionally tries to kill the baby, medical intervention to save the life of the mother is not an abortion). He has not responded to the CRTL survey - please ask him to, in order to establish clearly where he stands.

Jon Keyser (R) also claims to be pro-life but has not responded to the CRTL survey. Keyser told radio host Craig Silverman that he supports abortion in cases of rape or incest. CRTL considers him pro-abortion (because he favors the killing of an innocent unborn child in some cases).

Jack Graham (R) has not responded to the CRTL survey but is known to be pro-abortion. Graham has said he is "personally pro-life" but "didn't think it was the government's role to decide if a woman can or cannot get an abortion" (Fort Collins Coloradoan, Feb 16, 2016). I.e. if he's not willing to intervene on behalf of the children, he is essentially pro-abortion. He has linked from his website to a Pueblo Chieftain article calling him a "pro-choice Republican" (Apr 8, 2016) which is a guaranteed sign that he accepts that characterization.

Ryan Frazier (R) has not responded to the CRTL survey. has been willing to let people believe he is "pro-life" while in reality Frazier has stated it's "not government's role" to protect unborn children. He may have changed his opinion, but we have no reason to believe that, and we're not sure how far we could trust his opinion. It would help if he were willing to go on the record by answering the CRTL survey.

Jerry Eller (R) is a write-in candidate (you must write in "Jerry Eller") who is pledged to be 100% pro-life.

Candidates for US Congress (House)

1st Congressional District

Casper Stockham (R) has pro-life statements on his website. He has not yet responded to the survey.

Both Democrat opponents are pro-abortion.

2nd Congressional District

Nicholas Morse (R) has not yet responded to the survey.

3rd Congressional District

Cong. Scott Tipton (R) claims to be pro-life but has never responded to a CRTL survey and cannot be pinned down on specific positions. CRTL considers him unengaged and effectively pro-abortion.

Alex Beinstein (R) may be pro-life but our attempts to contact him have not been successful. If you know him, please have him contact us.

4th Congressional District

Ken Buck (R) has changed his position on Personhood after reflection.  After publicly rejecting the position in 2010, he now supports Personhood publicly. He has made statements to this effect. He has not responded to the CRTL survey, but he is a cosponsor of the federal Life at Conception Act.

5th Congressional District (Updated 6/10)

Cong. Doug Lamborn (R) has pledged to be 100% pro-life in responses to our survey. He has consistently maintained a pro-Personhood record in public statements and in his career in Congress, even co-sponsoring federal Personhood legislation (the Life at Conception Act).

Calandra Vargas (R) has pledged to be 100% pro-life in responses to our survey. Her website says she will "protect life at all stages".

6th Congressional District

Cong. Mike Coffman (R) is no longer considered pro-life. Like Sen. Cory Gardner, he has steadily “marched left” since entering Congress and has rejected the Personhood standard.

7th Congressional District

George Athanasopoulos (R) has not responded to the CRTL survey. His website uses the "avoid all mention of social issues" approach commonly used in this swing district, and there doesn't appear to be any information online suggesting his position on abortion one way or another. Please ask him to respond to the CRTL survey.

Candidates for State Senate

State Senate District 4 (Updated 6/26)

Jess Loban (R) has pledged to be 100% pro-life according to responses to the CRTL survey. He also has a clear position statement on his website expressing a no-compromise position on abortion. 

*** It's worth noting that there may be criminal charges pending in a case where political mailers were sent to discredit Jess Loban using false statements. It's believed this may be an attempt to replace solid conservatives with moderate Republicans. Information here.

Benjamin Lyng (R) has not responded to the CRTL survey, but has a pro-life statement on his website. Without further clarification it's impossible to tell if he qualifies for CRTL's "pro-life" designation. Please ask him to respond to our survey.

James Smallwood (R) has not responded to the CRTL survey. He has a statement on his website against abortion, but it's vague enough that it could mean merely "finding alternatives to abortion" and not legislating against abortion. This would not qualify as pro-life, but we hope he'll respond to the survey soon to clarify his position.

State Senate District 8

Sen. Randy Baumgardner (R) has not responded to the CRTL survey, but has previously affirmed via survey he is 100% pro-life. We'll wait until he responds to this year's survey to re-confirm that.

State Senate District 10

Sen. Owen Hill (R) has not responded to the CRTL survey, but has previously affirmed via survey he is 100% pro-life. We'll wait until he responds to this year's survey to re-confirm that.

State Senate District 12 (Updated 6/26)

Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt (R) has pledged to be 100% pro-life according to his responses to the CRTL survey. He has also been a stand-out legislator on pro-life issues since his 2014 election, and has proved his understanding of pro-life issues in depth. Klingenschmitt has voted twice for the Life At Conception bill (the one which his primary opponent voted against).

*** It's worth noting that there may be criminal charges pending in a case where political mailers were sent to discredit Gordon Klingenschmitt using false statements. It's believed this may be an attempt to replace solid conservatives with moderate Republicans. Information here. 

Fmr. Rep. Bob Gardner (R) is claiming he is pro-life, but CRTL strongly disagrees. We consider him pro-abortion. He was one of 2 Republican legislators who voted with the Democrats in 2014 to kill a Life At Conception bill that was very close to Personhood legislation. He also supported emergency contraception (abortifacients) in a previous vote. He has never been considered a strong pro-lifer, no matter what he claims, even if he may have cast some votes for pro-life legislation.

State Senate District 14

CRTL has not heard from any candidates for this office. Rep. John Kefalas formerly lobbied for the Catholic Charities, but he has a pro-abortion voting record. The Republican is Hans Hochheimer. Please ask him to respond to CRTL's survey.

State Senate District 17

There are no pro-life candidates for this office (yet).

State Senate District 18

CRTL has not heard from any candidates for this office. Peter Spraitz is the Republican candidate. Please ask him to return his survey.

State Senate District 19 (Updated 6/23)

Sen. Laura Woods (R) has pledged to be 100% pro-life according to answers to the CRTL survey.

State Senate District 21

William Ingram (R) has pledged to be 100% pro-life according to answers to the CRTL survey. In fact, he is a pro-life pastor with solid opinions on the issue. NOTE: Ingram is a WRITE IN candidate and to vote for him you must fill in the circle next to the "write in" line, and write in "William Ingram" on the line provided for write in candidates.

State Senate District 23

Sen. Vicki Marble (R) has not responded to the CRTL survey, but has previously affirmed via survey she is 100% pro-life. We'll wait until she responds to this year's survey to re-confirm that.

State Senate District 25

Rep. Kevin Priola (R) is believed to be pro-life, but has not responded to the CRTL survey. He has a pro-life statement without detail on his website.

State Senate District 26

Nancy Doty (R) is believed to be pro-life, and has made pro-life statements in the past. Please ask her to respond to the CRTL survey.

State Senate District 27

Sen. Jack Tate (R) is believed to be pro-life. Please ask him to return his CRTL survey.

State Senate District 28 (Updated 6/19)

James Woodley (R) has pledged to be 100% pro-life according to answers to the CRTL survey.

State Senate District 29

CRTL has not heard from Sebastian Chunn (R). If you know him please ask him to respond to the CRTL survey.

State Senate District 31

Jeffery Washington (R) has pledged to be 100% pro-life according to answers to the CRTL survey.

Rob Lane (R) has not yet responded to the CRTL survey.

State Senate District 33

No candidate has thus far responded to the CRTL survey. Raymon Doane is the Republican candidate, but we have no information on him so must assume he is not pro-life. If you have information about him, please let us know or ask him to respond to the survey.

State Senate District 35 (Updated 6/19)

Larry Crowder (R) has pledged to be 100% pro-life according to answers to the CRTL survey.

Candidates for State House

State House Districts 1-13

The first 13 Statehouse districts are situated in Denver and Boulder counties – most of the announced candidates thus far are Democrats, and the few Republicans who have announced generally will not indicate pro-life beliefs even if they are pro-life so we have not surveyed all of these races yet. If you’re aware of a pro-life candidate in the mix, please let us know.

State House District 14

Rep. Dan Nordberg (R) is believed to be pro-life, even though he has never responded to a CRTL survey.

State House District 15

Dave Williams (R) has not yet responded to the 2016 CRTL survey, but in 2014 he did affirm he is pro-life via that year's survey. We have no reason to believe he has changed, but we'll wait for a new survey to confirm.

State House District 16 (Updated 6/26)

Rep. Janak Joshi (R) has not yet responded to the CRTL survey, but he is pro-life and has worked closely with CRTL on fetal homicide legislation for several years. This working relationship is important to us, and demonstrates his commitment to doing the right thing.

*** It's worth noting that there may be criminal charges pending in a case where political mailers were sent to discredit Janak Joshi using false statements. It's believed this may be an attempt to replace solid conservatives with moderate Republicans. Information here. 

Fmr. Rep. Larry Liston (R) has responded to the CRTL survey and has pledged in his answers to our survey that he will be pro-life. However, in the past he has had a mixed record on life issues, having been one of only a handful of Republicans to answer Planned Parenthood surveys in recent years, and there having told them he wouldn't oppose their funding. We also have mixed information on whether he supports Personhood. This year he has pledged to support Personhood and all other pro-life positions. We hope that he is sincere, and is fully on board, but CRTL must also consider past records when available.

State House District 17

Rep. Kit Roupe (R) has generally been considered pro-abortion. If there has been any movement or reconsideration of her positions, please inform us and encourage her to return the CRTL survey.

State House District 18

Sonya Rose (R) is believed to be pro-life.

State House District 19

Rep. Paul Lundeen (R) is likely pro-life, but we have no surveys, statements or votes on which to base this opinion. Please ask him to return the CRTL survey so we can confirm and register him as pro-life.

State House District 20

Rep. Terri Carver (R) has a pro-life statement on her website, but with insufficient detail to determine her degree of commitment. Please advise us if you have information on her, and please ask her to return her CRTL survey.

State House District 21

Rep. Lois Landgraf (R) is pro-life, and responded as 100% pro-life in a previous survey. Please ask her to return this year's survey so we can reaffirm this rating.

There is a primary challenger to the incumbent in this district. CRTL has no information on Steve Elisha (R), or where he stands. If you have information, please advise CRTL, and please advise him to return the survey.

State House District 22

Rep. Justin Everett (R) is pro-life and has responded as 100% pro-life in past surveys. He has not responded yet this year, but please encourage him to do so.

State House District 23

CRTL has no information on Chris Hadsall (R). Please encourage him to return the CRTL survey.

State House District 24

CRTL has no information on Joy Bowman (R). Please encourage her to return the CRTL survey.

State House District 25

Rep. Tim Leonard (R) has pledged to be 100% pro-life in responses to our survey. He is also a former board member of Colorado Right to Life.

State House District 26

CRTL has no information on Michael Cacioppo (R). Please encourage him to return the CRTL survey.

State House District 27

Rep. Lang Sias (R) has never responded to a CRTL survey, and CRTL has been skeptical of his commitment in the past. Since coming into office mid-term, he has worked on pro-life legislation and has maintained a positive relationship with CRTL. Please encourage him to respond to the survey to affirm his positions, and so we can verify the degree of his commitment.

State House District 28

CRTL has little information on Nancy Pallozzi (R). Her website seems to advertise her as more moderate than most Republicans, but does not specifically address abortion issues. Please encourage her to return the CRTL survey.

State House District 29

CRTL has little information on Susan Kochevar (R). Please encourage her to return the CRTL survey.

State House District 30

Rep. JoAnn Windholz (R) has not yet responded to the survey, but CRTL considers her 100% pro-life. In the wake of the shooting at Planned Parenthood she made a public statement that in no way condoned violence against the facility or workers, but which blamed Planned Parenthood for creating an atmosphere of violence through their baby-killing industry, which is of course a correct assessment. When strongly criticized, even by members of her own party, Windholz did not back down. CRTL applauds her dedication to and understanding of pro-life issues.

State House District 31

CRTL has little information on Jessica Sandgren (R). Please encourage her to return the CRTL survey.

State House District 32

CRTL has little information on Alexander Jacobson (R). Please encourage him to return the CRTL survey.

There is a primary between Democrat candidates, and to the best of our knowledge there are no pro-life candidates. But if you have information to the contrary please advise.

State House District 33

CRTL has little information on Karen Nelson (R). Please encourage her to return the CRTL survey.

State House District 34

CRTL has little information on Dustin Johnson (R). Please encourage him to return the CRTL survey.

State House District 35

CRTL has little information on Emily Voss (R). Please encourage her to return the CRTL survey.

State House District 36

CRTL has little information on Richard Bowman (R). Please encourage him to return the CRTL survey.

State House District 37

Rep. Cole Wist is a pro-life legislator who entered this seat mid-term. Please encourage him to return the CRTL survey.

State House District 38

Susan Beckman (R) is believed to be pro-life, but CRTL does not have information about the degree of her commitment. Please encourage her to respond to the CRTL survey.

Michael Williams (R) is believed to be pro-life, but CRTL does not have information about the degree of his commitment. Please encourage him to respond to the CRTL survey.

State House District 39

Rep. Polly Lawrence (R) has not yet responded to the CRTL survey but has previously indicated a pro-life position in response to a survey. Please encourage her to respond to this year's CRTL survey.

State House District 40

Spencer Wellman (R) has not yet responded to the CRTL survey. Please encourage him to do so, and advise us of what you know about the candidate.

State House District 41

Linda Jean Garrison (R) has pledged to be 100% pro-life in responses to our survey.

State House District 42

Mike Donald (R) has pledged to be 100% pro-life in responses to our survey. He also demonstrates a strong grasp of pro-life issues.

State House District 43

Rep. Kevin Van Winkle (R) is pro-life. He has not responded to this year's CRTL survey, but indicated a 100% pro-life position in 2014. Please encourage him to return this year's survey so we can re-affirm his 100% status.

The incumbent has a challenger - Cindy (Cindra) Barnard (R). CRTL has no information on where she stands on life issues, and she has refused to respond to the CRTL survey, which is not a good indicator.

State House District 44

Rep. Kim Ransom (R) is pro-life, and though she has not responded to this year's CRTL survey, she responded and indicated a 100% pro-life position in 2014. She is a former CRTL board member. Please encourage her to return this year's survey so we can re-affirm her 100% status.

State House District 45

Rep. Patrick Neville (R) is a pro-life legislator who has affirmed a 100% pro-life position in the past. He has also worked with CRTL on legislation to protect unborn children. Please encourage him to respond to the survey so we can re-affirm his status.

State House District 46

There are not yet any pro-life candidates in this district.

State House District 47

Rep. Clarice Navarro-Ratzlaff (R) is likely pro-life, but CRTL has never received a survey response from her to confirm this. Please encourage her to return her CRTL survey to demonstrate her commitment.

State House District 48

Rep. Stephen Humphrey (R) is a stand-out pro-life legislator who has repeatedly run the Life At Conception Act, which is essentially a Personhood act to protect unborn children at every stage of development. He has not yet responded to this year's CRTL survey, but in the past he has affirmed a 100% pro-life position. Please encourage him to respond to this year's survey so we can re-affirm that status.

State House District 49

Rep. Perry Buck (R) is a pro-life legislator. She has never responded to a CRTL survey, but we believe her commitment is sincere. Please encourage her to return her survey.

State House District 50

John Alan Honeycutt (R) responded to the CRTL survey but was unclear in some of his responses. We believe he is sincerely pro-life, but CRTL may need to work with him on the unclear points.

State House District 51

Tom Lucero (R) has pledged to be 100% pro-life in responses to our survey.

Hugh McKean (R) has pro-life statements on his website, but he will need to respond to the survey to detail his commitment on specific pro-life aspects. Please encourage him to do so.

State House District 52

(information on this race is coming soon...)

State House District 53

(information on this race is coming soon...)

State House District 54

(information on this race is coming soon...)

State House District 55

Rep. Dan Thurlow (R) is believed to be pro-abortion. He was unclear even on doctor-assisted suicide legislation considered in the 2016 legislative session, and seemed poised to vote for it.

State House District 56

(information on this race is coming soon...)

State House District 57

(information on this race is coming soon...)

State House District 58

(information on this race is coming soon...)

State House District 59

Rep. J. Paul Brown (R) is a pro-life legislator. He has not yet responded to this year's survey, but he affirmed a 100% pro-life status in 2012. Please encourage him to return this year's survey so we can re-affirm that status.

State House District 60

Rep. Jim Wilson (R) has not yet responded to the CRTL survey, but is believed to be strongly pro-life. Please encourage him to respond to the survey to confirm this.

State House District 61

(information on this race is coming soon...)

State House District 62

Marcy Freeburg (R) has pledged to be 100% pro-life in responses to our survey.

CRTL has no information on Robert Mattive (R). Please encourage him to respond to the CRTL survey.

State House District 63 (Updated 6/26)

Rep. Lori Saine (R) is likely pro-life, but has never responded to a survey or even affirmed a commitment to Personhood so CRTL can not evaluate her full commitment to pro-life positions. She has carried anti-abortion regulations, but that by itself is not sufficient for CRTL to conclude she opposes abortions in every case and at every stage of development including chemical abortions (abortifacient poisoning). Please encourage her to respond to the CRTL survey so we can evaluate her positions on these important issues. 


*** It's worth noting that there may be criminal charges pending in a case where political mailers were sent to discredit Lori Saine using false statements. It's believed this may be an attempt to replace solid conservatives with moderate Republicans. Information here.
 
Colleen Whitlow (R) has pledged to be 100% pro-life according to answers to the CRTL survey.

State House District 64

Kimmi Lewis (R) has pledged to be 100% pro-life in responses to our survey.

Rep. Tim Dore (R) is a pro-life legislator who has affirmed a 100% pro-life position via a previous survey. Please encourage him to respond to this year's survey so we can re-affirm that position.

State House District 65

Rep. Jon Becker (R) has never responded to a CRTL survey, and CRTL has very little information to go on with regard to his stands. Please encourage him to respond to the survey so we can understand his position.


Please note that the above information will be updated regularly as new information becomes available between now and the June 28 primary election.

May 1 Update: US Senate Candidate Surveys

In 2016, we're finally experiencing the happy result that almost every credible candidate for higher office in Colorado wants to be seen as strongly pro-life (enough so that many are willing to lie to make it sound like they're something they're not).

Colorado Right to Life regularly sends out very specific surveys to get candidates on the record as to where they really stand on important pro-life issues like Personhood. The candidates who are really pro-life generally respond favorably, and are willing to go on the record.

The many candidates who are wanting to hedge, or who try to cover up their willingness to accept abortion, usually don't respond. Colorado Right to Life reports this too, so you can judge for yourself.

Colorado's US Senate race, this year, has had a couple of surprising results:

1. The candidate most experts figured as the conservative front-runner, pro-life Sen. Tim Neville, didn't make the ballot after voting at the Colorado State Convention. Instead, El Paso County Commissioner and retired Air Force Lt. Col. Darryl Glenn, who is also strictly pro-life, received 70% of the votes from delegates.


2. The crowd of candidates who attempted to petition onto the ballot, rather than using the grass-roots caucus/assembly process, are having a shocking degree of difficulty getting on the ballot.

As a result, as of today, we have the following candidates confirmed on the ballot for the June 28 primary election:

• Darryl Glenn, who has responded to the CRTL survey and has pledged to be 100% pro-life.


• Jack Graham, who has not responded to the CRTL survey. Graham has said he is "personally pro-life" but "didn't think it was the government's role to decide if a woman can or cannot get an abortion" (Fort Collins Coloradoan, Feb 16, 2016). I.e. if he's not willing to intervene on behalf of the children, he is essentially pro-abortion. He has linked from his website to a Pueblo Chieftain article calling him a "pro-choice Republican" (Apr 8, 2016) which is a guaranteed sign that he accepts that characterization. Graham was also a Democrat until the past year or so.


• Jon Keyser, who claims to be pro-life but has not responded to the CRTL survey. Keyser told radio host Craig Silverman that he supports abortion in cases of rape or incest, so CRTL considers him pro-abortion (because he FAVORS the killing of an innocent unborn child in some cases).

Ryan Frazier and Robert Blaha are also trying to get on the primary ballot, but they've fallen short of the required number of signatures. A judge has forced the Secretary of State to not make any firm decisions about allowing or not allowing them, which means that in the next few days they may still be allowed to be on the ballot.

As Colorado Right to Life has noted in the past, Frazier is another candidate who has been willing to let people believe he is "pro-life" while in reality Frazier believes it's "not government's role" to protect unborn children. He may have changed his opinion, but we have no reason to believe that, and we're not sure how far we could trust his opinion. It would help if he were willing to go on the record by answering the CRTL survey.

Robert Blaha also says he's pro-life, but he's more quiet about whether he will or won't support "abortion exceptions" in cases of rape or incest. He has not responded to the CRTL survey.

As you probably know, Colorado Right to Life has led the charge nationally to reject "abortion exceptions" and to promote a 100% pro-life Personhood standard (a right to life for unborn children, from conception on, no exceptions). Pro-lifers nationwide have increasingly adopted this position. Even though some may still hold a "pro-life except in cases of rape or incest" position (which was considered a standard Republican position a decade ago), a majority of pro-lifers now understand the inherent hyporcitical contradiction (is abortion murder, or isn't it?) and reject exceptions today.

This, of course, still allows a doctor to save the life of a woman in a life-threatening pregnancy by treating two patients - mother and baby - and not trying to kill either of them. If the baby dies anyway, as may happen, that's a natural death. If the doctor intentionally kills the baby (which is NEVER medically necessary) it's an abortion.

Colorado Right to Life is surveying legislative candidates, and will continue trying to reach Congressional candidates and US Senate candidates. Updates will be posted in coming weeks, in preparation for making decisions for the primary election in June.

Some quick notes on important legislative primaries:

• In Senate District 12 (Colorado Springs) 100% pro-life Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt is opposed by Fmr. Rep. Bob Gardner. Though Gardner claims to be pro-life, he has not responded to the CRTL survey and CRTL has reason to categorize him as pro-abortion based on his past statements and legislative record.
• In House District 16 (Colorado Springs) Colorado Right to Life believes Rep. Janak Joshi to be pro-life, whereas we believe Fmr. Rep. Larry Liston is not.

Note: One more candidate will NOT appear on the June 28 ballot for US Senate, but Jerry Eller is eligible as a write-in candidate, which means you must write his name in the write-in line of the US Senate ballot section exactly as he is registered, which we believe is "Jerry Eller". Eller has responded to the CRTL survey and has pledged to be 100% pro-life.

CO Senate District 12: Gordon Klingenschmitt vs. Bob Gardner

In the divisive primary between former Rep. Bob Gardner and Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt, both candidates claim to be "pro-life." Gardner even claims to be "unflinchingly pro-life."

Colorado Right to Life wishes to set the record straight as to who's pro-life. We have never had reason to consider Bob Gardner pro-life. To the best of our knowledge, he has never supported Colorado's Personhood amendments, or a Personhood standard in legislation. We have no evidence he ever signed a petition for Personhood. We have said previously he is a RINO (Republican in Name Only) and we'll say it again.

We have confidence in Gordon Klingenschmitt to defend the sanctity of life at all stages and at all times. We have no such confidence in Bob Gardner.

In fact, Colorado Right to Life has identified several areas where the candidates differ on respect for life.

In 2013, according to Project Vote Smart, Bob Gardner was rated 50% by NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado. (https://votesmart.org/candidate/65710/bob-gardner?categoryId=2&type=V,S,R,E,F,P#.VvRsvf32aUl)

In 2007 Bob Gardner voted with several mostly moderate, pro-choice Republicans in favor of legislation requiring hospitals or medical clinics to provide "emergency contraception" for rape victims. In reality, these are abortifacients -- poison pills designed to kill an already-conceived unborn child (http://coloradorighttolife.blogspot.com/2008/10/legislative-scorecard-2007-2008.html). This legislation had no exception for pro-life doctors who hold a personal belief that abortifacients murder an unborn child (in fact, that's the primary reason this bill was crafted - to force such pro-life medical professionals to act against their conscience!).

The 2011 "fetal homicide" bill Bob Gardner claims as proof he's pro-life was written to please NARAL and Planned Parenthood, and specified that a "human embryo, fetus, or unborn child" was NOT to be considered a person "at any stage of development prior to live birth." Why would a pro-life legislator have that language -- anti-Personhood language, denigrating to the status of unborn life -- in any bill they co-sponsor??? By contrast, Rep. Janak Joshi's fetal homicide language is 100% abortion neutral (it doesn't prohibit abortion, but also doesn't specifically defend or protect it).

Bob Gardner has never before responded to a survey from Colorado Right to Life. We take that as a strong indication that the candidate is not pro-life. By contrast, Gordon Klingenschmitt responded in 2014 and his responses confirm he is 100% pro-life.

Lastly, there is debate between sincere pro-lifers as to whether it's appropriate for the government to oversee or administrate abortion clinics in order to make sure they "abort children properly," even if there may be a positive impact upon the number of abortions performed. Rep. Klingenschmitt opposed HB15-1128 at our request because it would have effectively made the government a partner to Planned Parenthood and the abortionists in licensing abortion clinics and assuring children are killed properly. That reprehensible partnership, in our strongly held opinion, outweighed the slight benefits from further burdening the abortion clinics. CRTL has alternative legislative language which would make abortion clinics abide by medical standards and achieve the same positive effects without making abortion seem like a "well-regulated industry."

Please take these things into account when making your choice between these candidates.

Colorado Right to Life
Sponsor of Colorado's Personhood Amendments
Protecting Colorado's unborn children since 1967

Pro-Life Candidates in Colorado - Oct 2014 Update

Updated as of 10/20/2014. This post will continue to be updated all the way up to Election Day with new information -- keep checking back if you're concerned about a specific candidate. Also if you doubt the information given below about Rep. Cory Gardner (running for Senate) not being pro-life, please see our more detailed post on the US Senate race)

Notes to readers:

1) The 2014 Colorado Right to Life survey asked 7 position questions of candidates, establishing their positions on key pro-life issues. This list will be continuously updated. This list only includes Colorado legislative, congressional and gubernatorial candidates.

2) Many candidates say they’re “pro-life” but mean something very different than what true pro-lifers mean. Please keep this in mind before supporting candidates who do not respond to the CRTL Questionnaire.

3) No candidate who supports abortion for any reason is "pro-life.” Regardless of what they may say, any truly pro-life citizen/candidate believes that government has an obligation to protect all human life from conception forward, and therefore pledge to oppose all abortion (with the understanding that a doctor may take action to save a woman’s life while also trying to save the baby’s life, even if the baby’s survival is doubtful due to other factors) – every innocent human being has an inalienable Right to Life at every age or stage of development.

4) Candidates from any party are invited to respond to the survey. However, CRTL has never been made aware of a candidate from either the Democrat Party or Libertarian Party who is truly pro-life.

5) CRTL does not endorse candidates, but rather issues a “white list” – people who we believe take their responsibility to unborn children under the law seriously. Candidates who are pro-life are listed in bold.

Ballot Initiatives

Amendment 67 is on the ballot this year.  Many people think Colorado Right to Life opposes "incremental" laws and measures.  That's not really true.  CRTL opposes "compromised" laws and measures -- those that make it seem like not all human beings have the same value or deserve the same rights as every other innocent human being.  Sadly, most incremental measures are also compromised, but Amendment 67 is not.  It is a "Personhood compliant" incremental measure that may not protect all unborn children from harm by abortion, but it can at least protect unborn children who are victims of crimes also perpetrated against their mothers.  Vehicular homicide, wife beating, etc.  The law currently treats the baby not as a victim but as a "loss to be considered" in deciding judgment for the crime against the mother.

That's wrong.  Amendment 67 would make the law treat those unborn children as human victims of violence, and would treat the murder or assault upon the child the same as against any other human being.

There is a lot of disinformation out there about what Amendment 67 would do.  Most news organizations refuse to recognize any difference between Amendment 67 and other Personhood measures.  The fact is, the concept of Amendment 67 -- protecting the unborn children of pregnant mothers who are victimized as victims themselves -- is widely popular, and it's also a stepping stone to teaching society the value and the need to protect all unborn children the same way.

Candidates for Governor

Fmr. Cong. Bob Beauprez (R) has not responded to the survey. He does not support abortion for any reason, to the best of our knowledge (he was the first Republican nominee for Governor in 2006 who supported no exceptions for abortion). He is on record not supporting Personhood, and is not listed in "bold" for that reason, but it appears he questions the strategy, not the goal.

Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) is pro-abortion.

From statements on websites and from other information it appears that the other candidates on the ballot -- Harry Hempy (Green), Matthew Hess (Libertarian), Mike Dunafon (Unaffiliated) and Paul Noel Fiorino (Unaffiliated) are all pro-abortion.

Candidates for US Senate

There IS a pro-life candidate for US Senate running in Colorado!

However, he is not named Cory Gardner.

Raul Acosta (I) has answered the CRTL survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life. Acosta is an independent candidate for the US Senate who has been confirmed on the November ballot, so anyone in Colorado can vote for him without having to write his name in.

Raul Acosta is the ONLY candidate for the US Senate in Colorado who opposes abortion in all cases and believes in a Right to Life for unborn children from conception on.

Raul Acosta ran as a pro-life candidate for the US Senate in 2004, and has been an ally of Colorado Right to Life for many years.

Rep. Cory Gardner was once a strong pro-lifer and ally of CRTL, but that has changed! Cong. Cory Gardner (R) (see new info here) supported Personhood for many years but recently rejected a pro-life position in order to become more palatable to moderate voters. Since entering Congress he has steadily “marched left,” turning his back on solidly conservative positions he held on many issues. He says he is “still pro-life” but rejects protections for all innocent human beings at all stages of development and won’t oppose abortifacient birth control.

(More detail on US Senate Race and why Gardner is NOT pro-life.)

Sen. Mark Udall (D) is pro-abortion.

Due to statements on their websites or other statements we believe Gaylon Kent (Libertarian), Bill Hammons (Unity), and Steve Shogan (Unaffiliated) are all pro-abortion.

1st Congressional District

From statements on websites, and other public statements, it does not appear there are any pro-life candidates for this office.

2nd Congressional District

George Leing (R) is pro-abortion.

Cong. Jared Polis (D) is pro-abortion.

3rd Congressional District

Cong. Scott Tipton (R) claims to be pro-life but has never responded to a CRTL survey and cannot be pinned down on specific positions. CRTL considers him unengaged and effectively pro-abortion.

Fmr. Sen. Abel Tapia (D) is pro-abortion.

Travis Mero (L) is assumed to be pro-abortion, as that is the position of his party.

Tisha Cassida (Unaffiliated) is pro-abortion.

4th Congressional District

Ken Buck (R) has changed his position on Personhood after reflection.  After publicly rejecting the position in 2010, he now supports Personhood publicly. He has made statements to this effect, but has not responded to the CRTL survey so we cannot issue a "bold" pro-life indicator.

Vic Meyers (D) is pro-abortion.

Jess Loban (L) has not answered the CRTL survey. She indicates on her website she believes the unborn should be protected as individuals (a commendable and unusual position for a Libertarian candidate), but believes they should be protected by state law, not by federal law as an unalienable human right. This is in conflict with a full understanding of Personhood.

Grant Doherty (Unaffiliated) has not answered the survey. His position is unclear.

5th Congressional District

Cong. Doug Lamborn (R) has not responded to the CRTL survey this year, but has in the past and has consistently maintained a pro-Personhood record in public statements and in his career in Congress, even co-sponsoring federal Personhood legislation.

Irv Halter (D) is pro-abortion.

6th Congressional District

Cong. Mike Coffman (R) is no longer considered pro-life. Like Gardner, he has steadily “marched left” since entering Congress and made his rejection of the Personhood standard public this year.

Andrew Romanoff (D) is pro-abortion.

Gary Swing (Green) is pro-abortion.

Norm Olsen (Libertarian) is pro-abortion.

7th Congressional District

Don Ytterberg (R) calls himself pro-life but has refused to take solid positions, focusing on other issues and leaving doubt as to his real beliefs on the Right to Life. CRTL has seen this from other candidates who turned out not to be pro-life to any substantial degree. In past elections Ytterberg said both, that he supports abortion for rape and incest, and he believes abortion should not be a subject for public policy, but these responses are old and it's possible he has changed. If so, it is VERY unclear from his website and public statements. He appears to be ducking the issue entirely.

Cong. Ed Perlmutter (D) is pro-abortion.

Doug "Dayhorse" Campbell (ACP) was going to be on the ballot but we're sorry to say this pro-life stalwart passed away recently.

State Senate Candidates

State Senate District 1

Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life.

Doug Aden (ACP) is presumed to support Personhood, as it is the official position of his party. He has not responded to the CRTL survey.

State Senate District 2

Sen. Kevin Grantham (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life.

Martin Wirth (Green) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State Senate District 3

Sen. George Rivera (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life. Rivera is a newly elected legislator who won one of the two recall elections in 2013. He has signed a petition to place Personhood on the ballot and has said he makes no apologies for a pro-life position.

Leroy Garcia (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State Senate District 5

Don Suppes (R) is "personally pro-life" but won't legislate on the issue (which means he's officially pro-abortion).

Kerry Donovan (D) is pro-abortion.

Lee Mulcahy (L) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State Senate District 6

Sen. Ellen Roberts (R) is regarded as the most pro-abortion Republican in the legislature. She is unopposed by either party.

State Senate District 7

Rep. Ray Scott (R) has not responded to the survey yet, but he has supported Personhood in the past.

Claudette Konola (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State Senate District 9

Sen. Kent Lambert (R) has not responded to the survey yet, but he has been a steadfast supporter of Personhood in the past. He is unopposed.

State Senate District 11

Sen. Bernie Herpin (R) is a newly elected legislator who won one of the two recall elections in 2013. He has not responded to the CRTL survey. He did tell Pikes Peak Citizens for Life that he believed Personhood should begin at conception (single cell) but has since backed off on that and told the Colorado Independent that he does not support Personhood.

Rep. Mike Merrifield (D) is pro-abortion.

Norman "Paotie" Dawson (L) is presumed to be pro-abortion.
State Senate District 13

John Cooke (R) has not responded to the survey yet.
Joe Perez (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State Senate District 15

Sen. Kevin Lundberg (R) has not responded to the survey yet, but he has been a steadfast supporter of Personhood in the past. He is unopposed.

State Senate District 16

Fmr. Sen. Tim Neville (R) has not responded to the survey yet, but has supported Personhood in the past.
Sen. Jeanne Nicholson (D) is pro-abortion.

State Senate District 19

Laura Woods (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed she is pro-life.

Sen. Rachel Zenzinger (D) is pro-abortion.

State Senate District 20

Larry Queen (R) has indicated that he is strongly pro-life and has said he will respond to the survey.
Sen. Cheri Jahn (D) is pro-abortion.

State Senate District 22

Tony Sanchez (R) has responded to the CRTL survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life.

Sen. Andy Kerr (D) is pro-abortion.

State Senate District 24

Beth Humenik (R) has not responded to the survey this year, and did not in previous years either. Please ask her to contact CRTL.
Judy Solano (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State Senate District 30

Rep. Chris Holbert (R) has responded to the survey, and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life.

Bette Davis (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State Senate District 32

Dawne Murray (R) has not responded to the survey. We have no solid information one way or another on her positions.
Sen. Irene Aguilar (D) is pro-abortion.

State Senate District 34

Stuart Siffring (R) is believed to be pro-abortion based on public statements.

Sen. Lucia Guzman (D) is pro-abortion.


Brian Scriber (L) is pro-abortion.

State House Candidates (Updated 10/20)

State House Districts 1 - 13

The first 13 Statehouse districts are situated in Denver and Boulder counties – most of the announced candidates thus far are Democrats, and the few Republicans who have announced generally will not indicate pro-life beliefs even if they are pro-life so we have not surveyed these races yet. If you’re aware of a pro-life candidate in the mix, please let us know.

The one exception here is District 4:

State House District 4

David Dobson (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life. He ran a campaign in 2012 based primarily on Personhood, and is expected to run a similar campaign in 2014.

Rep. Dan Pabon (D) is pro-abortion.


State House District 14

Daniel Nordberg (R) has not responded to the CRTL survey, but is believed to be pro-life. If you know him please ask him to return his CRTL survey.

Glenn Carlson (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 15

Pastor Gordon Klingenschmitt (R) has returned his survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life. (The Christian Coalition may have falsely reported Klingenschmitt during the primary as not 100% pro-life. This information is incorrect -- Klingenschmitt supports Personhood and opposes all abortions).

Lois Fornander (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 16

Rep. Janak Joshi (R) has not returned his survey yet. He says he is pro-life on his site, and is believed to support Personhood but this is not confirmed. He has worked closely with CRTL for several years in drafting a non-objectionable, non-compromised, Fetal Homicide measure for consideration by the legislature. He is associated with the pro-Personhood Republican Study Committee, and also attended the CRTL Banquet in 2012. We would like to have him on record with regard to his commitments, so please encourage him to return his survey.

Ryan Macoubrie (D) is likely to be pro-abortion, but was NOT endorsed by Planned Parenthood.

State House District 17

Both Catherine “Kit” Roupe (R) is pro-abortion.

Rep. Tony Exum (D) is pro-abortion.

Susan Quilleash (L) is presumed to be pro-abortion, as most candidates from her party are.

State House District 18

Michael Schlierf (R) has not responded to the survey.

Rep. Pete Lee (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 19

Paul Lundeen (R) has not returned his survey yet. He is running unopposed.

State House District 20

Terri Carver (R) has not yet responded to the survey. Her website claims she is pro-life. She is running unopposed.

State House District 21

Rep. Lois Landgraf (R) has not returned her survey yet, but has supported Personhood in the past. She is running unopposed.

State House District 22

Justin Everett (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life.

Mary Parker (D) is pro-abortion.

Lynn Weitzel (L) is pro-abortion.

State House District 23

Jane Barnes (R) has not yet responded to the survey – please ask her to contact CRTL.
Rep. Max Tyler (D) is pro-abortion.

Michael Beckerman (L) is presumed to be pro-abortion, as most candidates from his party are.

State House District 24

Joseph Demott (R) has not yet responded to the survey.

Jessie Danielson (D) was formerly a director for the local branch of pro-abortion NARAL (i.e. is avidly pro-abortion).

State House District 25

Jonathan Keyser (R) has not responded to the survey.

Janet Doyle (D) is pro-abortion.

Jack Woehr (L) is pro-abortion.

State House District 26

Chuck McConnell (R) has not responded to the survey.

Rep. Diane Mitsch Bush (D) is pro-abortion.

Thom Haupt (L) claims to be personally pro-life, but his website makes it clear he is politically pro-abortion.

State House District 27

Rep. Libby Szabo (R) has not returned surveys since 2008, but we believe she probably supports Personhood. Her silence is disconcerting.

Wade Michael Norris (D) claims to be a "theologian" (which could mean alot of things). His position on abortion is unclear. He did NOT receive an endorsement from Planned Parenthood, but has worked on behalf of many pro-abortion candidates.

State House District 28

Stacia Kuhn (R) has not responded to the survey. She makes pro-life statements on her website, but the degree of her commitment is unclear. Her opponent accuses her of wanting to ban all abortions, which is a claim often bandied about, but it's rarely made so explicit if there isn't evidence of support for Personhood.

Rep. Brittany Petterson (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 29

Susan Kochevar (R) has not responded to the survey.

Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp (D) is pro-abortion.

Hans Romer (L) is pro-abortion.

State House District 30

JoAnn Windholz (R) has not responded to the survey.

Rep. Jenise May (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 31

Carol “Jody” Beckler (R) has not responded to the survey.

Rep. Joe Salazar (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 32

Edgar Antillon (R) says he is pro-life but has previously renounced Personhood. He has not responded to the survey.

Rep. Dominick Moreno (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 33

Marijo Tinlin (R) defeated a likely pro-abortion Republican in the primary, and Tinlin appears to be pro-life and may support Personhood. Please ask her to contact CRTL or respond to the survey to establish this for certain.

Rep. Dianne Primavera (D) is pro-abortion, and opposed justice for unborn victims of crimes (a fetal homicide measure that would protect the unborn children of pregnant women who die in vehicular homicides or other crimes).

Carter Reid (L) is presumed to be pro-abortion, as most candidates from his party are.

State House District 34

Alexander "Skinny" Winkler (R) has not responded to the survey.

Rep. Steve Lebsock (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 35

Mike Melvin (R) has not responded to the survey.

Faith Winter (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 36

Richard Bowman (R) has not responded to the survey.

Rep. Su Ryden (D) is pro-abortion and opposed justice for unborn victims of crimes (a fetal homicide measure that would protect the unborn children of pregnant women who die in vehicular homicides or other crimes).

State House District 37

Jack Tate (R) has not responded to the survey yet.

Nancy Cronk (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 38

Kathleen Conti (R) responded favorably to CRTL’s survey in 2010, however general opinion now seems to be that she lied about her beliefs on our survey and a number of others (she campaigned as a pro-life, fiscal conservative, and she appears to be neither). She is regarded as an unreliable vote on pro-life issues.

Robert Bowen (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 39

Rep. Polly Lawrence (R) has not yet responded to the survey, but has supported Personhood in the past.

James Huff (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion, but did not receive an endorsement from Planned Parenthood.

State House District 40

JulieMarie Shepherd (R) has not responded to the survey.

Rep. John Buckner (D) is pro-abortion.

Geoff Hierholz (L) is presumed to be pro-abortion, as most candidates from his party are.

State House District 41

Molly Barrett (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed that she is pro-life.

Rep. Jovan Melton (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 42

Mike Donald (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed that he is pro-life.

Rep. Rhonda Fields (D) has been very shrill in opposing pro-life efforts and opposed justice for unborn victims of crimes (a fetal homicide measure that would protect the unborn children of pregnant women who die in vehicular homicides or other crimes). She is pro-abortion.

State House District 43

Kevin Van Winkle (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed that he is pro-life.

Henry Barlow (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion, but did not receive an endorsement from Planned Parenthood.

State House District 44

Kim Ransom (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed that she is pro-life. She is also a former board member of Colorado Right to Life.

Karen Jae Smith (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion, but did not receive an endorsement from Planned Parenthood.

Lily Williams (L) has not returned the survey, and is presumed to be pro-abortion, as most candidates from her party are.

State House District 45

Patrick Neville (R) has responded to the CRTL survey and rigorously affirmed he is pro-life.

Brandon Wicks (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion, though he did not receive an endorsement from Planned Parenthood.

James Jeansonne (L) is presumed to be pro-abortion, as most candidates from his party are.

State House District 46

Brian Mater (R) has not responded to the survey.

Daneya Esgar (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 47

Rep. Clarice Navarro-Ratzlaff (R) claims to be pro-life, but needs to contact CRTL to establish her positions.

Lucretia “Robbie” Robinson (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 48

Rep. Stephen Humphrey (R) responded to the CRTL survey and rigorously affirmed that he is pro-life. He is running unopposed.

State House District 49

Perry Buck (R) has not returned her survey yet, but we believe she is pro-life. She is running unopposed.

State House District 50

Isaia Aricayos (R) has not responded to the survey.

Rep. Dave Young (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 51

Rep. Brian DelGrosso (R) has not responded to the survey but has supported Personhood in the past. He is currently running unopposed.

State House District 52

Donna Walter (R) has not responded to the survey.

Rep. Joann Ginal (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 53

Tim Bessler (R) has not responded to the survey.

Jennifer James Arndt (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 54

Yeulin Willett (R) has not responded to our survey.

Brad Webb (D) is pro-abortion.

Kyle Davis (L) is presumed to be pro-abortion, as most candidates from his party are.

James Fletcher (I) is an unknown quantity.

State House District 55

Dan Thurlow (R) has not responded to the survey.

Christopher Kennedy (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 56

Rep. Kevin Priola (R) has not responded to the survey.

Vicki Snider (D) is pro-abortion.

Chris Baerns (L) is presumed to be pro-abortion, as most candidates from his party are.

State House District 57

Rep. Bob Rankin (R) did not reply to the CRTL survey in 2010, nor in 2012, even after multiple contacts. It is believed he is not pro-life.

Sacha Mero (L) is pro-abortion.

State House District 58

Rep. Don Coram (R) has not responded to the CRTL survey this year or in the past. CRTL is always skeptical of candidates who don’t return their surveys or self-identify as pro-life on their websites. Coram is currently running unopposed.

State House District 59

Fmr. Rep. J. Paul Brown (R) has not yet responded to the survey, but has supported Personhood in the past.

Rep. Mike McLachlan (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 60

James Wilson (R) has expressed a pro-life testimony on his webpage, so is believed to be sincerely pro-life, but has not responded to this year’s survey (he did not respond in 2012).

Curtis Imrie (I) is pro-abortion.

State House District 61

Debra-Lynn Irvine (R) has not responded to the survey yet – please ask her to contact CRTL.

Rep. Millie Hamner (D) is pro-abortion.

Mac Trench (L) is presumed to be pro-abortion, as most candidates from his party are.

State House District 62

Marcy Freeburg (R) has not responded to the survey.

Rep. Ed Vigil (D) is pro-abortion, and opposed justice for unborn victims of crimes (a fetal homicide measure that would protect the unborn children of pregnant women who die in vehicular homicides or other crimes).

State House District 63

Rep. Lori Saine (R) has not returned our survey. She refused to answer the survey in 2012, and has expressed reservations about Personhood, though otherwise claims to be pro-life.

Dustin Urban (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion, though he did not receive an endorsement from Planned Parenthood.

State House District 64

Rep. Tim Dore (R) has not responded to the survey. He has expressed support for Personhood in the past. He is running unopposed.

State House District 65

Fmr. Rep. Jon Becker (R) has not responded to the survey. He is running unopposed.




**Please note: Republicans predominate this list because they are considered the most likely to be pro-life. Members of other parties, especially the American Constitution Party, may be pro-life. However, we have yet to hear from a single candidate from the Democrat or Libertarian parties who is pro-life. Candidates from other parties, including 3rd parties, will be contacted before the November election.

Any candidate wishing to respond to the survey

Important Update on Candidates (Oct 2014)

CRTL will publish a complete update in the next few days. The information collected before the primary is here, listing many candidates who are already confirmed as pro-life.

In the meantime we wanted to make you aware of some important updates.

First, updates have been added to indicate pro-life candidates Jerry Sonnenberg (running for CO Senate District 1) and Mike Donald (running for CO House District 42).

Second, we have good news and bad news on the US Senate race in Colorado:

US Senate (Colorado)

There IS a pro-life candidate for US Senate running in Colorado!

However, he is not named Cory Gardner (R-CO).

Raul Acosta (I) has answered the CRTL survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life. Acosta is an independent candidate for the US Senate who has been confirmed on the November ballot, so anyone in Colorado can vote for him without having to write his name in.

Raul Acosta is the ONLY candidate for the US Senate in Colorado who opposes abortion in all cases and believes in a Right to Life for unborn children from conception on.

Raul Acosta ran as a pro-life candidate for the US Senate in 2004, and has been an ally of Colorado Right to Life for many years.

Cory Gardner:

Rep. Cory Gardner was once a strong pro-lifer and ally of CRTL, but that has changed!

As you probably heard, Cory Gardner announced publicly that he no longer supports Personhood. He apologized for ever supporting it. He said he was well-meaning, but it was a mistake.

Of course the reason he gave for not supporting Personhood -- that it would ban "contraceptives" -- is completely false, and is a propaganda claim of NARAL and Planned Parenthood that is often repeated by the media.

Cory Gardner has attended briefings on Personhood by CRTL where this was discussed -- Cory should KNOW better! But since he knew it was a false statement and he made it anyway, we can only conclude he has made a cynical choice to give up on principles so he would be more attractive to moderate voters.

Cory promised to meet with CRTL to discuss his position, but that meeting never occurred. He doesn't want to talk.

Personhood is not the only position Gardner has changed since giving up his safe conservative Congressional seat and deciding to run for the US Senate statewide.

When told by the Denver Post that Sen. Mark Udall charged that Gardner was opposed to abortion "even in cases of rape and incest," Gardner told the Post Udall was lying.

So Cory Gardner now officially supports abortion in cases of rape or incest. That is 8,000 babies killed per year, for those reasons, nationwide.

Cory Gardner is also putting underage girls at risk for more sexual abuse because abortion is often used to cover up acts of incest, as shown recently by lawsuits in Colorado and Arizona, and as demonstrated by numerous stings run by Lila Rose's LiveAction. Planned Parenthood has shown a pattern of not reporting possible cases of child sex abuse as required by law. If abortion were made illegal in all cases, abortions could not be used to cover up the crimes.

As if that's not enough, Cory Gardner has more recently begun running ads saying he's for "birth control" over the counter!

What kinds of birth control? All kinds, apparently -- he's done this to counter the "opposes birth control" ads of the Democrats, which were based on his support of Personhood, and yet the only kinds of birth control Personhood could affect are abortifacients which can kill an already-conceived child.

So CRTL can only assume Cory Gardner wants to provide abortifacients (falsely called "emergency contraceptives") over the counter so women can have their abortions at home.

Besides "over the counter abortifacients" being an extremely pro-abortion proposal, and besides the likelihood this would encourage more permissive sex at younger ages, over the counter abortifacients could even make things easier for child sex traffickers who need to cover up their own crimes without risking going to a medical facility where staff are required by law to report any suspicions.

We also believe it is wildly irresponsible for a candidate for the US Senate to propose allowing potentially harmful high dose drugs be made available without the advice and prescription of a doctor.

The Mayo Clinic advises women to work closely with their health care providers and indicates, "Some [birth control] complications can be serious. They include the following:
    •Blood clots in the legs (recent studies suggest that the type of progestin used in the pill may affect the risk of blood clots, with pills containing drosperinone showing a higher risk)
   •Gallbladder disease
   •Heart attacks and stroke (smoking greatly increases the risk of these complications)
   •Liver tumors"

Even The National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health links birth control pills to risk of breast cancer and other forms of cancer.

Hmm... Over the counter, without a doctor, with those sorts of potentially fatal side effects? That sounds like a decision that should be made by a doctor who knows someone’s medical history, not by a politician.

Where are the defenders of our children? Clearly Gardner isn’t one of them.

Other candidates:

Obviously, Sen. Mark Udall (D) is pro-abortion.

We believe all of the other independent and third party candidates are also pro-abortion, as confirmed on their websites, or from public statements.

2014 Pre-Primary Candidate Info

UPDATED 10/1/14
(also added new information on US Senate race)

Notes to readers:

1) The 2014 Colorado Right to Life survey asked 7 position questions of candidates, establishing their positions on key pro-life issues. This list will be continuously updated. This list only includes Colorado legislative, congressional and gubernatorial candidates.

2) Many candidates say they’re “pro-life” but mean something very different than what true pro-lifers mean. Please keep this in mind before supporting candidates who do not respond to the CRTL Questionnaire.

3) No candidate who supports abortion for any reason is "pro-life.” Regardless of what they may say, any truly pro-life citizen/candidate believes that government has an obligation to protect all human life from conception forward, and therefore pledge to oppose all abortion (with the understanding that a doctor may take action to save a woman’s life while also trying to save the baby’s life, even if the baby’s survival is doubtful due to other factors) – every innocent human being has an inalienable Right to Life at every age or stage of development.

4) Candidates from any party are invited to respond to the survey. However, CRTL has never been made aware of a candidate from either the Democrat Party or Libertarian Party who is truly pro-life.

5) CRTL does not endorse candidates, but rather issues a “white list” – people who we believe take their responsibility to unborn children under the law seriously. Candidates who are pro-life are listed in bold.

Candidates for Governor

Fmr. Sen. Mike Kopp (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life. He has been a supporter of Personhood throughout his legislative career and has attended CRTL legislative briefings.

Fmr. Cong. Tom Tancredo (R) has not yet responded to the survey. He has supported Personhood in the past.
Sec. State Scott Gessler (R) has not yet responded to the survey. He does not support Personhood and does not seem to be interested in serious changes in the status quo with regard to abortion.
Fmr. Cong. Bob Beauprez (R) has not yet responded to the survey. He is not believed to support Personhood.
Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) is pro-abortion.

Candidates for US Senate

*Updated 10/1

(New Info Post on US Senate Race)

Raul Acosta (Ind.) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life.  Raul Acosta has also been a longtime CRTL donor and ran as a pro-life candidate for US Senate in 2004.

Cong. Cory Gardner (R) (see new info here) supported Personhood for many years but recently rejected a pro-life position in order to become more palatable to moderate voters. Since entering Congress he has steadily “marched left,” turning his back on solidly conservative positions he held on many issues. He says he is “still pro-life” but rejects protections for all innocent human beings at all stages of development and won’t oppose abortifacient birth control.


Sen. Mark Udall (D) is pro-abortion.

1st Congressional District

Still evaluating Republican candidates – if there’s a pro-life candidate please ask them to contact CRTL.

2nd Congressional District

George Leing (R) is pro-abortion.
Cong. Jared Polis (D) is pro-abortion.

3rd Congressional District

Cong. Scott Tipton (R) claims to be pro-life but has never responded to a CRTL survey and cannot be pinned down on specific positions. CRTL considers him unengaged and effectively pro-abortion.
David Cox (R) has not responded to the CRTL survey – please ask him to, or contact us if you have information. Fmr. Sen. Abel Tapia (D) is pro-abortion.

4th Congressional District

Sen. Scott Renfroe (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life. He has been a supporter of Personhood throughout his legislative career and has attended CRTL legislative briefings.
Barbara Kirkmeyer (R) has also responded to the CRTL survey and has rigorously affirmed that she is pro-life.

(Update 6/23) Steve Laffey (R) has not responded to the survey, but apparently opposes Personhood and is not pro-life (supports abortion for rape & incest).
Ken Buck (R) says he supports Personhood again, after publicly rejecting the position in 2010. He has made statements to this effect, but has not responded to the CRTL survey and CRTL still has doubts about his position on key pro-life issues where he created much confusion and disruption in 2010. Please encourage him to answer the survey.
Vic Meyers (D) and Dan Chapin (D) are presumed to be pro-abortion.

5th Congressional District

Cong. Doug Lamborn (R) has not responded to the CRTL survey this year, but has in the past and has consistently maintained a pro-Personhood record in public statements and in his career in Congress, even co-sponsoring federal Personhood legislation.

Gen. Bentley Rayburn (R) has supported Personhood in the past, but recent statements make it seem like he’s criticizing Lamborn’s focus on pro-life and other social issues. Please encourage him to respond to the CRTL survey to establish his position this year.
Irv Halter (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

6th Congressional District

Cong. Mike Coffman (R) is no longer considered pro-life. Like Gardner, he has steadily “marched left” since entering Congress and made his rejection of the Personhood standard public this year.
Andrew Romanoff (D) is pro-abortion.

7th Congressional District

Doug “Dayhorse” Campbell (ACP) has not yet responded to this year’s CRTL survey, but has done so in the past and his personal and party platforms are strictly pro-Personhood – we have confidence that Campbell is pro-life.

Don Ytterberg (R) calls himself pro-life but has refused to take solid positions, focusing on other issues and leaving doubt as to his real beliefs on the Right to Life. CRTL has seen this from other candidates who turned out not to be pro-life to any substantial degree. Please encourage him to respond to the CRTL survey.
Cong. Ed Perlmutter (D) is pro-abortion.

State Senate Candidates

State Senate District 1

*Update 10/1
Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life.
Doug Aden (ACP) is presumed to support Personhood, as it is the official position of his party.

State Senate District 2

Sen. Kevin Grantham (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life. He is the only candidate so far for this office.

State Senate District 3

Sen. George Rivera (R) is a newly elected legislator who won one of the two recall elections in 2013. He has not yet responded to the survey.
Leroy Garcia (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State Senate District 5

Don Suppes (R) has not yet responded to the survey.
Kerry Donovan (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State Senate District 6

Sen. Ellen Roberts (R) is regarded as the most pro-abortion Republican in the legislature. She is currently unopposed by either party.

State Senate District 7

Rep. Ray Scott (R) has not responded to the survey yet, but he has supported Personhood in the past.
Claudette Konola (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State Senate District 9

Sen. Kent Lambert (R) has not responded to the survey yet, but he has been a steadfast supporter of Personhood in the past. He is unopposed so far.

State Senate District 11

Sen. Bernie Herpin (R) is a newly elected legislator who won one of the two recall elections in 2013. He has not responded to the survey yet.
Rep. Mike Merrifield (D) is pro-abortion.

State Senate District 13

John Cooke (R) has not responded to the survey yet.
Joe Perez (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State Senate District 15

Sen. Kevin Lundberg (R) has not responded to the survey yet, but he has been a steadfast supporter of Personhood in the past. He is unopposed, so far.

State Senate District 16

Fmr. Sen. Tim Neville (R) has not responded to the survey yet, but has supported Personhood in the past.
Sen. Jeanne Nicholson (D) is pro-abortion.

State Senate District 19

Laura Woods (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed she is pro-life.

Lang Sias (R) claims to be pro-life, but has never responded to a CRTL survey (this is his 3rd election cycle) and his statements indicate he is only opposed to late term abortions (meaning he may support all the rest). He is NOT pro-life. Many Republicans claim to be pro-life but don’t want to explain that they define that term loosely.
Sen. Rachel Zenzinger (D) was appointed to this seat after a recall effort forced the resignation of the previous senator. Zenzinger is believed to be pro-abortion.

State Senate District 20

Larry Queen (R) has indicated that he is strongly pro-life and has said he will respond to the survey.
Sen. Cheri Jahn (D) is pro-abortion.

State Senate District 22

Tony Sanchez (R) has responded to the CRTL survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life.

Mario Nicolais (R) has not responded to the survey yet.
Sen. Andy Kerr (D) is pro-abortion.

State Senate District 24

Beth Humenik (R) has not responded to the survey this year, and did not in previous years either. Please ask her to contact CRTL.
Judy Solano (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State Senate District 30

Rep. Chris Holbert (R) has responded to the survey, and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life.

Bette Davis (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State Senate District 32

Dawne Murray (R) has not responded to the survey – please ask her to contact CRTL.
Sen. Irene Aguilar (D) is pro-abortion.

State Senate District 34

Stuart Siffring (R) has not responded to the survey – please ask him to contact CRTL.
Sen. Lucia Guzman (D) is pro-abortion.

State House Candidates

State House Districts 1 - 13

The first 13 Statehouse districts are situated in Denver and Boulder counties – most of the announced candidates thus far are Democrats, and the few Republicans who have announced generally will not indicate pro-life beliefs even if they are pro-life so we have not surveyed these races yet. If you’re aware of a pro-life candidate in the mix, please let us know.

The one exception here is District 4:

State House District 4

David Dobson (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life. He ran a campaign in 2012 based primarily on Personhood, and is expected to run a similar campaign in 2014.

Rep. Dan Pabon (D) is pro-abortion.


State House District 14

Daniel Nordberg (R) has not responded to the CRTL survey, but is believed to be pro-life. If you know him please ask him to return his CRTL survey.
Glenn Carlson (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 15

Pastor Gordon Klingenschmitt (R) has returned his survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life.
Dave Williams (R) has returned his survey and rigorously affirmed that he is pro-life.
(NOTE: Surveys by other groups -- Christian Coalition and/or Christian Family Alliance -- have discounted Klingenscmitt's support for Personhood and have instead "knocked points off" because he will not support anti-abortion regulations which undermine Personhood and deny the Right to Life of the unborn child. They are falsely claiming he is not completely pro-life. Beware! Keep in mind that many pro-life and Christian groups do not have the same understanding of Personhood as CRTL does.)

Lois Fornander (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 16

Rep. Janak Joshi (R) has not returned his survey yet. He says he is pro-life on his site, and is believed to support Personhood but this is not confirmed. He has worked closely with CRTL for several years in drafting a non-objectionable, non-compromised, Fetal Homicide measure for consideration by the legislature. He is associated with the pro-Personhood Republican Study Committee, and also attended the CRTL Banquet in 2012. We would like to have him on record with regard to his commitments, so please encourage him to return his survey.
Ryan Macoubrie (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 17

Both Catherine “Kit” Roupe (R) and Rep. Tony Exum (D) are pro-abortion, which is unusual for such a conservative district.

State House District 18

Michael Schlierf (R) has not responded to the survey yet – please encourage him to do so.
Rep. Pete Lee (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 19

Paul Lundeen (R) has not returned his survey yet -- please encourage him to do so. He is currently running unopposed.

State House District 20

Kristen Selzer (R) has responded to the survey, and has rigorously affirmed that she is pro-life.

Terri Carver (R) has not yet responded to the survey.
Miles Dewhirst (R) has not yet responded to the survey.
Daniel Stanforth (R) has not yet responded to the survey.

State House District 21

Rep. Lois Landgraf (R) has not returned her survey yet, but has supported Personhood in the past. She is running unopposed, so far.

State House District 22

Justin Everett (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed he is pro-life.

Loren Bauman (R) is running as a “pro-choice” alternative candidate against Everett, (i.e. is NOT pro-life).
Mary Parker (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 23

Jane Barnes (R) has not yet responded to the survey – please ask her to contact CRTL.
Rep. Max Tyler (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 24

Joseph Demott (R) has not yet responded to the survey – please help us get in touch with him or ask him to respond.
Jessie Danielson (D) was formerly a director for the local branch of pro-abortion NARAL (i.e. is avidly pro-abortion).
Kristian Teegardin (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 25

Jonathan Keyser (R) has not yet responded to the survey – please ask him to contact CRTL.
Janet Doyle (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 26

Chuck McConnell (R) is running again, but he still has not contacted CRTL. Please ask him to contact us.
David Moloney (R) has not returned his survey. Please ask him, also, to answer his survey.
Rep. Diane Mitsch Bush (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 27

Rep. Libby Szabo (R) has not returned surveys since 2008, but we believe she probably supports Personhood. Her silence is disconcerting.
Wade Michael Norris (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 28

Stacia Kuhn (R) has not responded to the survey – please ask her to contact CRTL.
Rep. Brittany Petterson (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 29

Fmr. Rep. Robert Ramirez (R) has supported Personhood in the past, but has not responded to this year’s survey.
Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 30

JoAnn Windholz (R) has not responded to the survey – please ask her to contact CRTL.
Rep. Jenise May (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 31

Carol “Jody” Beckler (R) has not responded to the survey – please ask her to contact CRTL.
Rep. Joe Salazar (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 32

Edgar Antillon (R) has not responded to the survey yet. He says he is pro-life. Please ask him to contact CRTL.
Rep. Dominick Moreno (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 33

Marijo Tinlin (R) defeated a likely pro-abortion Republican in the primary, and Tinlin appears to be pro-life and may support Personhood. Please ask her to contact CRTL or respond to the survey to establish this for certain.
Rep. Dianne Primavera (D) is pro-abortion, and opposed justice for unborn victims of crimes (a fetal homicide measure that would protect the unborn children of pregnant women who die in vehicular homicides or other crimes).

State House District 34

Alexander Winkler (R) has not responded to the survey yet. If you know him, please have him contact us.
Rep. Steve Lebsock (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 35

Mike Melvin (R) has not responded to the survey yet – please ask him to contact CRTL.
Faith Winter (D) has not been surveyed, but is probably pro-abortion.

State House District 36

Richard Bowman (R) has not responded to the survey yet – please ask him to contact CRTL.
Rep. Su Ryden (D) is pro-abortion and opposed justice for unborn victims of crimes (a fetal homicide measure that would protect the unborn children of pregnant women who die in vehicular homicides or other crimes).

State House District 37

Michael Fields (R) has responded to our survey, and rigorously affirmed he is pro-life.

John Tate (R) has not responded to the survey yet.
Nancy Cronk (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 38

Kathleen Conti (R) responded favorably to CRTL’s survey in 2010, however general opinion now seems to be that she lied about her beliefs on our survey and a number of others (she campaigned as a pro-life, fiscal conservative, and she appears to be neither). She is regarded as an unreliable vote on pro-life issues.
Robert Bowen (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 39

Rep. Polly Lawrence (R) has not yet responded to the survey, but has supported Personhood in the past.
James Huff (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 40

JulieMarie Shepherd (R) has not responded to the survey – please ask her to contact CRTL.
Rep. John Buckner (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 41

Rep. Jovan Melton (D) is pro-abortion.

Update 10/15:
Molly Barrett (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed that she is pro-life.

State House District 42

*Update 10/1
Mike Donald (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed that he is pro-life.
Rep. Rhonda Fields (D) has been very shrill in opposing pro-life efforts and opposed justice for unborn victims of crimes (a fetal homicide measure that would protect the unborn children of pregnant women who die in vehicular homicides or other crimes). She is pro-abortion.

State House District 43

Kevin Van Winkle (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed that he is pro-life.

Henry Barlow (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 44

Jack Hilbert (R) has responded to the survey and has rigorously affirmed that he is pro-life.

Karen Jae Smith (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 45

Patrick Neville (R) has responded to the CRTL survey and rigorously affirmed he is pro-life.

Brandon Wicks (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 46

Alexander Mugatu (R) has supported Personhood in the past but has not responded to this year’s survey – please ask him to contact CRTL.
Brian Mater (R) has not responded to the survey – please ask him to contact CRTL.
Daneya Esgar (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 47

Rep. Clarice Navarro-Ratzlaff (R) claims to be pro-life, but needs to contact CRTL to establish her positions.
Terrance Hestand (D) and Lucretia “Robbie” Robinson (D) are both presumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 48

Rep. Stephen Humphrey (R) responded to the CRTL survey and rigorously affirmed that he is pro-life. There was some controversy about the conduct of the 2012 primary election regarding the abortion issue. Since being elected, Humphrey seems to have done his best to earn a reputation for pro-life legislation and positions. Please ask him to return his CRTL survey.


State House District 49

Perry Buck (R) has not returned her survey yet. She is currently running unopposed.

State House District 50

Isaia Aricayos (R) has not responded to the survey yet.
Rep. Dave Young (D) is believed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 51

Rep. Brian DelGrosso (R) has not yet responded to the survey but has supported Personhood in the past. He is currently running unopposed.

State House District 52

Donna Walter (R) has not responded to the survey yet – please ask her to contact CRTL.
Rep. Joann Ginal (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 53

Tim Bessler (R) has not yet responded to the survey – please ask him to contact CRTL.
Jennifer James Arndt (D) is assumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 54

Yeulin Willett (R) has not yet responded to our survey. Please encourage him to respond back with us.
Brad Webb (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 55

Steven Acquafresca (R) has not responded to the survey yet – please ask him to contact CRTL.
Dan Thurlow (R) also has not responded to the survey yet – please ask him to contact CRTL.
Christopher Kennedy (D) is assumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 56

Rep. Kevin Priola (R) has not responded to the survey yet – please ask him to contact CRTL.
Vicki Snider (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 57

Rep. Bob Rankin (R) did not reply to the CRTL survey in 2010, nor in 2012, even after multiple contacts. It is believed he is not pro-life. He is currently running unopposed.

State House District 58

Rep. Don Coram (R) has not responded to the CRTL survey this year or in the past. CRTL is always skeptical of candidates who don’t return their surveys or self-identify as pro-life on their websites. Coram is currently running unopposed.

State House District 59

Fmr. Rep. J. Paul Brown (R) has not yet responded to the survey, but has supported Personhood in the past.
Rep. Mike McLachlan (D) is pro-abortion.

State House District 60

James Wilson (R) has expressed a pro-life testimony on his webpage, so is believed to be sincerely pro-life, but has not responded to this year’s survey (he did not respond in 2012). He is running unopposed at present.

State House District 61

Rep. Millie Hamner (D) is pro-abortion.
Debra-Lynn Irvine (R) has not responded to the survey yet – please ask her to contact CRTL.

State House District 62

Marcy Freeburg (R) has not yet responded to the survey – please ask her to contact CRTL.
Rep. Ed Vigil (D) is pro-abortion, and opposed justice for unborn victims of crimes (a fetal homicide measure that would protect the unborn children of pregnant women who die in vehicular homicides or other crimes).

State House District 63

Rep. Lori Saine (R) has not yet returned our survey. She refused to answer the survey in 2012, and has expressed reservations about Personhood, though otherwise claims to be pro-life. Please encourage her to return her survey this year.
Bruce Sparrow (R) is running against her in the primary. It’s unclear where he stands, and we do not have a contact e-mail for him yet – if you know him, please ask him to contact CRTL.
Dustin Urban (D) is presumed to be pro-abortion.

State House District 64

Rep. Tim Dore (R) has not responded to the survey yet. He has expressed support for Personhood in the past. He is currently running unopposed.

State House District 65

Fmr. Rep. Jon Becker (R) has not responded to the survey yet. He is currently running unopposed.




**Please note: Republicans predominate this list because they are considered the most likely to be pro-life. Members of other parties, especially the American Constitution Party, may be pro-life. However, we have yet to hear from a single candidate from the Democrat or Libertarian parties who is pro-life. Candidates from other parties, including 3rd parties, will be contacted before the November election.

Any candidate wishing to respond to the survey may contact office@coloradorighttolife.org.